


Return to Me

by SadinaSaphrite, tearsontherocks



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Childhood Friends to Coworkers to Lovers, Emotional Constipation, Healthy to Unhealthy to Healthy Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, King Leon, Knight Raihan, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, Non-Explicit Sex, Non-explicit sex between teenagers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, Touch-Starved, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 164,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24954115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadinaSaphrite/pseuds/SadinaSaphrite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearsontherocks/pseuds/tearsontherocks
Summary: One sunny spring day, young Raihan happened upon a very lost Crown Prince Leon, and they quickly became best friends. The two were inseparable until their paths gradually began to diverge, ultimately bringing them to a crossroads.They made a promise, a pact to always return to one another, no matter what. Ten years later, so much has changed, including both of them. Is a childhood promise really enough to overcome the barriers of pain and duty?
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 245
Kudos: 347





	1. Budding Blossoms - Chapter 1

****

Part One: Budding Blossoms

Never had there been a more perfect day for playing hooky, in Raihan’s opinion. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the sun shone warm against his skin, and birdsong filled the air with splendor. Raihan strode down the dirt path with a skip in his step, his bare feet kicking up earth and the new, fresh grass. A cold breeze rustled the budding leaves along the forest path, reminding Raihan that winter was still clinging on as the season rolled into spring, but it wasn’t enough to temper his good cheer.

How did Aria expect him to stay inside on such a glorious day, especially to do something as dull as sweep the floors and scrub pots? It wasn’t as if anyone would be coming to the inn anyway, he rationalized to himself. It was planting season, and the whole village was hard at work tending to their fields. The inn would be empty for at least a few days. Maybe the village folk would still come to the inn for a drink after a long day of hard work, but surely they wouldn’t all want enough dinner to justify scrubbing all those pots. Surely his chores could wait until tomorrow, especially because he didn’t intend to return home empty-handed. 

When helping Aria gut fish last week, he’d found a fishhook in the belly of a trout. A real honest-to-gods fishhook, made of steel and everything, much better than the wood or bone hooks Raihan was used to using. He’d catch Aria a big fish, and then she wouldn’t mind a lick that he’d skipped out on cleaning the big pots!

A big fish meant enough meat to last them at least a few days, and it’d be nice to have something other than cabbage stew or hard, dry bread. Normally, meat was saved for the paying customers at the inn and Raihan and Aria settled for any leftovers. They only got the good stuff if there was an excess of stock. 

Raihan knew just the place, too. There was a river that ran through the Fairy Forest, and though it wasn’t safe to go too deep into the woods, he knew a spot where the river curved close to the forest edge, right alongside a big pond. After a good rain, the pond and the river would connect, and big river fish would sometimes get trapped in the pond once the rain had dried. He’d been there dozens of times, and though he wasn’t always successful, he’d caught a fair number of fish there, including a bass as long as his forearm once.

As he made his way through a field with the beginnings of flower blossoms peeking through the grass and melting snow, a faint sound rose up among the hum of wildlife. It sounded like someone crying softly, the noise barely audible among the excited buzz of spring.

Raihan froze in his tracks and listened carefully. A fake cry for help was a common fairy trap, intent on luring him deeper into the woods until he was lost forever. After a moment, he determined the crying wasn’t coming from the forest. He wavered, looking between the dirt path he followed and the sounds of tears, until curiosity got the better of him and he went to investigate. 

He followed the sound of tears to a small meadow, filled with grass and the new shoots of dandelion weeds. In the center stood a small boy, looking to be about his own age with striking purple hair that shone in the sunlight. His eyes were shut tightly as he cried quietly, taking stinted breaths as he tried to hold in his sobs.

Well, the purple hair was a little weird, but he wasn’t dressed like a Forest Fairy. The boy wore very fine clothing, a well-fitted white tunic and trousers with a scarlet cape that looked to be more ornamental than practical, only reaching to his knees and with no hood. It was true that Fairies also dressed very finely, but their clothing was all made from the forest: spider silk, flower petals, and dewdrops, not the satin and velvet the boy wore.

Raihan strode into the meadow, his curiosity growing with every step.

“Hullo,” he said. “Who’re you?”

The boy gasped, snapping his head up as he took a step back. He sniffled and hastily rubbed at his face with both hands.

“W-where’d you come from?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“Clearfield Village,” Raihan said, waving a hand vaguely behind him. 

Now that he was closer, he could see the boy’s bright white and red clothing had extravagant gold embroidery. He must be a young lord or a noble. Someone wealthy for sure. Raihan tugged self-consciously at his baggy wool tunic and torn trousers, tied together with a length of rope instead of a belt.

“The v-village?” the boy questioned quietly, and looked around the field before his eyes fell back on Raihan. They were a warm golden color, and were currently threatening to fill up with tears again. “D-do you know w-where the capital is?”

“The Capital? Hammerlocke?” Raihan asked. “Yeah, it’s that way.”

He gestured vaguely ahead of them. “The trees are in the way right now, but you can see the castle once you’re back out on the road.”

The boy looked toward the trees, taking a breath and hiccoughing slightly.

“O-oh.” His brow furrowed, thinking hard about something before looking back at Raihan. “S-sorry, I um… I’m not—I mean, I’m just…” 

He frowned and straightened up, holding himself high.

“My name’s Leon,” he said before dipping into a short bow, “who’re you?”

“I’m Raihan,” he said, and offered his hand instead of bowing. “Are you lost?”

“ _No!_ ” came his immediate, indignant reply, but he bit his lip and tentatively took Raihan’s hand. “I was just… following a butterfly and came here to this field.”

“Oh,” Raihan said, taken aback by his response. “Well… good. It’d be pretty bad if you got lost near the Fairy Forest.”

Fear flitted through Leon’s eyes, holding the hand he hadn’t let go of yet tighter.

“Y-yeah… it w-would.”

Raihan fidgeted. He was wasting time, but it didn’t seem right to leave this supposedly-not-lost little lord all alone in the middle of a meadow. 

“Well, I was gonna go fishing. You can come if you want, I guess.”

Leon sniffed, curiosity lighting up his golden eyes.

“Fishing? I… I’ve never been fishing before…”

“Really? Not ever?” Raihan asked. He started pulling Leon back toward the trail. “I’ll show you how!”

Leon’s soft hand held tight to Raihan’s, and the smaller boy let Raihan pull him along easily.

“You will? I—I’d like to learn!”

“It’s super easy. I want to catch a big fish today for Aria!” Raihan took easily back to the trail, letting Leon’s hand go and trusting the boy would follow him, the spring back in his step as he headed for the pond.

“Who’s Aria?” Leon asked, keeping pace with Raihan, though his gaze started wandering to the scenery around them as his spirits lifted.

“She’s the lady who owns the Clearfield Inn, where I live,” he said.

“Oh,” Leon said, spotting a big, oddly shaped bug and starting to drift off the path toward it. “You live near an inn?”

“No, I live _at_ the inn. I don’t have any parents so I don’t— hey!” He snagged Leon’s arm and pulled him back on the path. “What are you doing? That’s toward the forest!”

Leon jumped as Raihan grabbed him, looking at him in surprise before his gaze trailed back toward the bug, but it had been startled away. 

“It was a… a bug…” He said before looking back at Raihan, concern and compassion in his eyes. “...you don’t have any parents?”

Raihan shifted uncomfortably under the heartfelt worry in those golden eyes and turned back down the path. 

“No. It’s not a big deal. Miss Aria looks after me. She’s even given me schooling. I can read an’ everything.”

Leon continued trailing along behind him, now watching Raihan more closely rather than their surroundings.

“That’s very kind of her… not everyone can read.” He was quiet for a moment. “Do you like to read? I like to read a lot.”

Raihan shrugged. “It’s okay. I’d rather be outside. Hah! Here we are!”

The path led to the top of a hill, and the large pond sprawled beneath them. Reeds and cattails lined the muddy shore, and the river babbled merrily in the distance. 

“Over here! This is my fishing spot!” Raihan ran down the grassy hill to a large, flat rock under an elm tree. He climbed onto the rock and got situated, legs crossed, and pulled the little pouch off his rope belt. Leon followed him up the rock, though far more tentatively, moving carefully in his fine outfit. He peered curiously down at the pond from atop the rock.

“I don’t see any fish down there,” he said, “when are they going to come?”

“After they see the— Oh! Hang on, I need bait!” Raihan scrambled off the rock and started hunting along the water’s edge. “Around here there’s usually a… hah! There!”

He dug his fingers into the mud and fished out a fat worm, then grinned and showed Leon. They both watched it wriggle in Raihan’s hand, fascination in Leon’s eyes.

“See? Bait!”

“Ew,” Leon said with a small laugh.

Raihan clambered back onto the rock and sat down. Leon still stood a bit awkwardly atop the rock, not sitting down just yet.

“Here, make sure he doesn’t get away,” Raihan said, plopping the worm down in front of Leon.

“Wha— me?” he asked, but moved his gaze down to the worm, watching it attentively. “What are you going to do with it?”

“I already said, use it as bait.” He pulled the precious hook out of his belt pouch, along with a long length of horsehair twine, and carefully unraveled it to avoid tangling. He tied the hook to one end, and tied a twig to the line a few feet above the hook. “There! Now we take the bait…”

Raihan grabbed the worm and speared it on the hook.

“Ah!” Leon jumped slightly, expression wrinkling slightly as he watched the worm writhe on the hook. “...oh…”

“And there we go!” Raihan threw the line out far into the pond. The hook and bait vanished below the water while the twig bobbed on the surface. “And now we wait!” 

He settled back on the rock and got comfortable.

“Real fisherman have a rod the string’s attached to, but I don’t have one, so I just gotta use my hands,” he said, winding the string around his hand. “When the twig goes underwater, we know a fish is pulling on the line!”

Leon nodded, watching the twig intently, moving into a crouch on the rock.

“I understand… and that’s when you pull the fish out of the water!”

“Yeah, exactly!” Raihan grinned at him. 

“Right!” Leon looked back at the water and stared at the stick for several moments of silence. Gradually, he plopped down onto the rock beside Raihan, dirt already starting to stain his fine, white clothes.

Raihan sank back against the tree and relaxed, looking forward to an afternoon of doing nothing. Leon glanced at Raihan with surprise and looked between him and the twig in the water a few times. Another few minutes passed in quiet with Leon closely watching the twig. He occasionally shifted a bit, fiddling with his fine clothes, before he suddenly let out a loud groan.

“This is so boring!! When are the fish gonna come?”

“Hey! Quiet, dummy! You wanna scare all the fish?” Raihan scolded. “It’s only been a few minutes! It can take a long time, you just gotta wait.”

A pout found Leon’s face, and he finally turned away from the twig to look at Raihan.

“I’m not a dummy! How long is a long time?”

“I dunno. Depends on the fish. Sometimes hours.”

“ _Hours?_ ” Leon exclaimed, his mouth dropping open.

“Hey, it’s better than scrubbing pots,” Raihan said.

“Hm,” Leon said, his brow furrowing again. “Do you have to scrub pots all the time?”

“Yeah,” Raihan shrugged. “And floors and tables and dishes…”

Leon made a face. “That sounds awful. Does Aria pay you?”

“Yeah. Well, kindof. She feeds me and lets me live at the inn with her. Even gave me schooling, like I said.”

“...oh.” Leon stared at his boots for a minute, his brow furrowed again.

“I mean, I guess it’s not _money,_ but that’s okay. We barely make enough to keep the inn running. And what am I gonna spend money on? I’m fine.”

“N-no that’s not—” Leon bit his lip. “...I guess I don’t know that much about… about what your life is like.”

Raihan glanced over at him, looking once again at his fine white clothing, already smudged with dirt and mud. “Yeah, I bet.”

Leon’s expression got more unsure, and he looked away from Raihan, pulling his short cape around himself. He fell silent and stared down at the pond. The minutes dragged on, and finally Raihan was the one to shift uncomfortably.

“Sorry. That was kinda mean,” he said, chagrined. “I guess I don’t really know anything about your life, either.”

Leon shook his head, still not looking at him. “No, no, it’s okay… I know I’m… strange.”

“Yeah, you are!” Raihan grinned. “Don’t even know how to fish! How old are you?”

“S-seven,” Leon said, clutching his cloak tighter, “how old are you?”

“Eight. Hey, if you’re bored, I know something you can do.”

Leon looked back at Raihan, his eyes glistening again, and he sniffed a little. “Y-yeah? What’s that?”

“Here,” Raihan pulled his little knife out of the belt pouch and held it out to Leon. “Go cut down one of those reeds and bring it back.”

Leon hesitated before taking the knife, holding it very carefully and seemed distracted by it in his hands. “...just um… one of the reeds?”

“Yeah. Just one. I can show you something neat!”

“Okay!” Leon brightened up again, and slipped down off the rock. His boots made a squelching sound as he moved through the mud, looking for the perfect reed. Finally, he found one that he liked and took a breath before he carefully cut it near the bottom. He hustled back to Raihan, holding out both the reed and knife toward him.

“Got it!”

“Perfect! Okay, let me just…” He took the reed and the knife from Leon and went to work. He cut off a length of the reed and added a few carefully positioned holes and angled cuts. “And there!”

He put the reed pipe to his lips and played a few scraggly notes, then handed it to Leon.

Leon’s face exploded with delight, and he took the pipe from Raihan, enthusiastically puffing out his own squeaky notes.

“That’s incredible!!” He beamed up at Raihan. “How’d you learn how to do that?”

“What, play it or make it?” Raihan asked. “Because playing it is easy, you just blow into it and cover the holes.”

Leon rolled his eyes, still grinning. “Not _play_ it, make it! Our minstrel can play the pipes, but I’ve never seen him _make_ them.”

“Oh! Go get another few reeds, then,” Raihan said, handing the knife back to Leon. “I’ll teach you how!”

He hesitated again before gingerly taking the knife. “O-okay, right.” He slid off the rock and went back to about where he’d found the previous reed, squelching through the mud the whole way. Leon took his locating job very seriously, but it wasn’t long before he came back with five nice reeds, cut with varying degrees of precision.

“Great! So, first you need to cut a little hole here at an angle like this…” 

Raihan slowly walked him through the process of making a simple reed pipe, taking as long as he needed for Leon to get it. He had been leery of having a stranger join him on his stolen afternoon of freedom, but he’d quite warmed up to Leon, helped in no small part by the fact that Leon seemed amazed and fascinated by everything he did. 

“And there you have it! Okay. Now you try.” 

“Okay, I’ll… I’ll try!” 

Leon took the reed and knife from Raihan, and stared down at his hand holding the knife. He held it awkwardly, nothing like how Raihan had been holding it, and he seemed to recognize this as he shifted it in his hand, trying to find the grip that looked correct.

“Have you never used a knife before?” Raihan asked, peering over.

“N-no… Mother won’t let me… and…” He swallowed, gripping the knife tighter and looked at Raihan with determination. “But I still wanna make a pipe!”

“Here, lemme help…” Raihan wrapped the fishing line around his wrist, then leaned over and put his hands on Leon’s. He slowly helped him through the movements of using the knife, and patiently helped him through cutting the reed pipe. 

Leon was attentive, and with Raihan’s help, he soon had a pipe that looked nearly identical to the one Raihan had made. 

“Ah! It looks just like yours!” he exclaimed, delighted.

“There, see? Try it out!”

“Yeah, but um, maybe take the knife back?” He moved to hold the knife back out to Raihan. However, in trying to turn it so that Raihan could accept the handle rather than the blade, he cut himself, slicing open a thin gash on his palm. Leon dropped the knife and pipe with a pained, surprised cry.

“Oh, whoops,” Raihan peered at the wound. “Looks pretty shallow. You should be good to—” 

“I-is it…?” Leon looked down at his shaking hand, blood slowly blossoming out of the wound. “Blee… Bl—…” He suddenly wobbled dangerously, his eyes unfocusing.

“W-whoa! Hey, what’s wrong?” Raihan’s heart leapt into his throat.

Leon’s breaths started coming quicker, and he began to fall to one side, shaking from head to toe.

“Leon?!” Raihan grabbed his shoulders. “H-hey! Hey, close your eyes. Take slow, deep breaths.”

Leon squeezed his eyes shut, trembling in Raihan’s hands, though he started taking bigger, slower breaths. Gradually his breathing began to even out, and he reached out his uninjured hand to hold onto Raihan’s tunic.

“....s…. still… bl-bleeding?” His injured hand still bled sluggishly, though the wound wasn’t deep.

“Yeah. Hang on,” Raihan ripped a strip of fabric off the bottom of his ratty tunic, then carefully bandaged Leon’s hand. “Okay, it’s all bandaged.”

Leon held tight to Raihan’s tunic for several more moments, his breathing still calming and trembling still fading. His voice was soft and timid.

“...sorry…. m’sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Raihan said, bewildered. “What happened?”

“...dunno why, but… whenever I see blood, I um… I pass out, most of the time… it’s why my mother doesn’t like me being around knives…”

Raihan scratched his head, only more confused. “Really? So you just clonk out every time you hurt yourself? I get scratched up all the time! I’d never get anything done if that happened to me.”

“...y-yeah… happens if it’s someone else’s blood, too… s’part of why they keep me inside all the time.” He still hadn’t opened his eyes, and he scrunched his face up, tears starting to bead in the corners of his eyes. “...I h-hate it…”

Alarm rose in Raihan at the sight of more tears. 

“Hey… hey, it’s okay.” He gave him an awkward pat on the back. “And the blood’s gone, see? It’s all bandaged up.”

Leon opened one eye, holding his injured hand in front of his face. He let out a sigh, relaxing as he saw the makeshift bandage and no blood. 

“Th-thanks, Raihan…” He took another deep breath. “Sorry I’m n-no fun… I wanted to have _fun_ out here, not faint! I still want to see you make more pipes…”

“I can still make more. It’s a little trickier, but I can even make a set of multiple-reed pipes that plays lots of different notes. Here!” He handed the fishing line to Leon. “You hold onto this and I’ll go get the right reeds!”

He scrambled off the rock and went to gather the thin reeds that worked better for a set of pan pipes. Leon sat holding the fishing line in his good hand, staring down at the makeshift bandage on his other. 

“...is that your only tunic?” he asked, brow furrowing deeper as he stared at the bandage.

“Naw, I got another one,” Raihan said lightly, heedless of the mud between his bare toes as he deftly cut down a handful of reeds. 

Leon’s shoulders relaxed a fraction, and he closed his hand around the bandage.

“Okay, good. ...y’know, I could get y—” He cut himself off with a noise of surprise as there was a tug on the fishing line. “Ah! Th-there’s a fish!!”

“What?!” Raihan dropped the reeds and raced back to the rock. “Hold onto it! Don’t let go!”

He sprinted back to the rock, mud squelching beneath him, and jumped up beside Leon. He grabbed the line with both hands, but didn’t take it away from Leon.

“Okay! Together, now! Easy… slowly pull it in…” 

The two boys worked side by side, and gradually pulled in a large orange carp, its scales glinting in the sun as it flopped about. An excited laugh escaped Leon as they tried to keep it under control.

“It’s so big!! I’ve never seen a fish this big!”

“Me neither!” Raihan beamed. “Okay, careful! We don’t wanna go too fast or we’ll break the line! Easy… easy now…”

Working together - and it was a good thing there were two of them - they managed to pull the carp into the shallows. Raihan jumped right down into the water to snatch it up before it could get another burst of energy and get away. 

“We did it!” he cried, lifting the thrashing fish up by the gills and hastily carrying it to shore.

Leon held tight to the line and moved to meet Raihan, watching the fish with wide eyes.

“Woah, we really did it!” He laughed, the sound bright and cheery as it rang about the pond.

Raihan carefully retrieved his hook and line, storing it back in the little belt pouch, then held the fish tight. 

“We did! Aria will be thrilled for sure!” He beamed at Leon, then looked proudly at the fish. “Carp meat gets kinda muddy tasting if you wait too long before cooking it. Wanna take it back to the inn with me?”

Leon’s smile faltered a bit, and he looked away, opposite the way they’d come.

“I… I should probably try to find my parents again…”

“Where are they?” Raihan asked.

“I um… I don’t know…” His cheeks flushed and he stared hard at the pond. “I got lost…”

Raihan took in this information without an ounce of surprise. “Well, I know this place better than anyone. I can help you find them.”

Leon perked up, moving closer to Raihan and the prize fish. “Really? You can?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Where did you last see them? Or where did you come from?”

“We came by carriage from the capital,” Leon said, looking in a direction that was very much not toward Hammerlocke. “They set up a picnic… and I saw a pretty butterfly… then the next thing I knew… I was lost.”

“Okay,” Raihan said. “Figured as much. Lots of fancy people up that way. Let’s head toward the capital and we’ll see what we can find. This way!”

Holding the now motionless fish, he led Leon away from the forest and back toward the road. Leon trailed along behind him, occasionally looking down at his bandaged hand, then over at Raihan. He paused once, movement catching his eye off the path, but it wasn’t long before he jogged to catch up with Raihan and reached for his free hand.

“How can you tell anything apart?” he asked, still staring out over the fields, “there’s so much to look at.”

“You learn,” he said simply. “After a while, you start to see which trees look different, or where the big rocks are. It’s kinda like in a town. At first, all the buildings look the same until you’ve gotten to know how they’re different, and I’ve been running around these woods my whole life. I know where the good climbing trees are, and the best fishing spots, and where to get good firewood, and where all the monsters live.”

Leon’s eyes widened, staring at Raihan in wonder.

“You’ve seen monsters?!”

“Oh yeah,” Raihan said casually. “All the time. We _are_ right next to the Fairy Forest, after all. Tons of monsters. Dragons, too. Though… Calling them monsters is kinda rude, if you ask me. Most of ‘em are just like any other animal. Just, y’know, bigger.”

“Rude? To monsters?” Leon questioned, “if they’re like animals, they don’t know what’s rude, they just know what’s food.”

“I guess that’s true. But I still think it’s stupid calling them monsters when they’re not mean.” 

Leon looked thoughtful. “What would you call them instead?”

“I dunno,” Raihan admitted. “There’s so many different kinds, it’s hard to find one name that fits all of ‘em. Creatures, maybe. I just call ‘em what they look like.”

“Are any of them nice?”

“Oh, yeah. Lots,” He puffed his chest out. “I know how to tame them. I even have a dragon that lets me ride him.”

“ _What?!_ ” Leon exclaimed, “no you don’t, you’re making that up!”

“I do!” Raihan protested. “I really do! I mean, he’s not around right _now,_ but he still comes by.”

Leon’s look got teasing. “Then how is he _your_ dragon?”

“Well, he doesn’t let anyone else ride him, now does he? Just me. So he’s my dragon!”

“Hm, I dunno, if he doesn’t stay with you all the time, I still don’t think he could be _your_ dragon… maybe your friend. Who sometimes gives you rides.”

Raihan pouted at him.

“…I still like to think he’s my dragon.”

Leon giggled at him, swaying their clasped hands a little.

“Well, if he’s actually a _dragon,_ and he’s actually your friend… I guess that’s okay.” Leon grinned wider. “My best friend’s a ghost, so I think your best friend could be a dragon!”

Raihan gave him an unimpressed look.

“He’s a real dragon, not an imaginary friend.”

Leon huffed, frowning at Raihan. “He’s not imaginary! He’s a ghost!”

“Oh, come on,” Raihan rolled his eyes. “There’s no such thing as ghosts. You’re making that up. You’re just jealous that I have a dragon.”

Leon gaped at him. “Wha—there are _too_ ghosts! How do you live right next to the fairy forest and not believe in _ghosts?!_ ”

“Because fairies aren’t ghosts, dummy!” Raihan said with exasperation. “And neither are monsters!”

“Of course they aren’t, they’re _ghosts!_ ” Leon said with a laugh. “If there’s fairies and dragons, why aren’t there also ghosts?”

“Because… uh… because…” he didn’t actually have a good answer, other than the fact that he’d never seen a ghost. 

“That’s what I thought,” Leon said, smiling smugly.

“Okay, fine. So I’ve never seen a ghost,” Raihan said. “That doesn’t mean they’re…”

He trailed off and looked off the path, toward the grassy meadows and hills away from the forest. 

“You wanna see a monster? There’s some right over there.”

A group of creatures fluttered through a meadow, looking very much like butterflies, if butterflies were massive, larger than either Leon or Raihan. They fluttered daintily for their size over the newly blossomed meadow flowers, enormous white wings fluttering delicately.

Leon let out a quiet gasp, watching the creatures with wonder, golden eyes glinting in the afternoon light.

“....oh… they’re beautiful…”

“Beautiful, but still dangerous,” he said. “They can spread a paralyzing powder from their wings if they feel threatened. But if you don’t threaten them, then it isn’t a problem. That’s how a lot of monsters are. They’re dangerous, but they don’t _want_ to start a fight.”

Leon nodded, still entranced by the enormous butterflies.

“Makes sense… they just want to live, like all of us.” He squeezed Raihan’s hand and pointed toward a silhouette that was coming into view beneath the butterflies. “Woah, what’s that one?”

Out of the treeline came a white wolf, though it was clearly not an ordinary wolf, standing taller than a horse. A second one followed it a breath later, the two striding into the meadow. 

“Whoa,” Raihan breathed. “I’ve never seen those before.”

Leon breathed out a sigh in tandem with Raihan, watching the wolves with rapt attention. “They’re incredible… biggest animals I’ve ever seen…”

The two wolves strode side by side, the giant blue and white butterflies giving them space. Then, as one, both wolves turned and looked at the two children on the path. Raihan stiffened and tightened his grip on Leon’s hand, somehow positive that the wolves were looking directly at them, not just in their direction. Leon similarly tensed up, holding tighter to Raihan as they felt the gaze of the two powerful creatures. As quickly as it started, the moment was over, the white wolves averting their gazes and wandering out of the field and back into the trees. 

Raihan let out a low breath and relaxed his hold on Leon’s hand. 

“Wow.”

“Y-yeah, you said it,” Leon replied, also relaxing his hold on Raihan, though he still stood close to him. “That was… intense.”

“C’mon,” Raihan said, tugging his hand a little. “This fish is pretty heavy. Let’s get you back home.”

“O-oh, right,” Leon said, nodding, and stared down at their hands as Raihan began pulling them along. “.....will um…”

“Will what?”

Leon’s voice was soft and tentative. “...will you play with me again?”

Raihan looked at him with surprise, then his face split into a grin. 

“Yeah! This was fun! And next time I can show you the fancy multi-reed pipes!”

Leon perked up, grinning back at him.

“R-really? I’d like that very much!”

“Yeah!” Raihan picked up the pace, his spirits lifting with the promise of spending time with his new friend in the future. “And I can show you the best climbing tree, and another good swimming pond, and the place where a tree got hit by lightning and now it’s all black and where the nice monsters make their dens and all sorts of stuff!”

A beaming smile stayed on Leon’s face, easily keeping pace with Raihan. “That sounds great!”

Raihan beamed and ran his mouth, eagerly telling Leon about all his favorite places in the fields and forest around his home. He even told him about the Clearfield Inn, and the little room he occupied in the stables, and all the strange travelers he’d seen passing through their little village on the way to Hammerlocke. Leon was completely enraptured by his stories, occasionally asking questions, but mostly listening. Neither noticed as they got close enough to see the towering castle of Hammerlocke on the horizon until a shout rang about the clearing.

“Hey! What are you doing with the Prince?!” 

Two guards in full plate mail jogged toward them. Raihan’s blood ran cold at the sight of two armed and armored soldiers barreling toward him, and fear clutched at his heart before their words processed.

Prince? Leon was the _Prince?_

He looked in horror at Leon as the depth of what he’d done fully struck him. He’d taken a lost Prince to the edge of the Fairy Forest, let him get dirty and injured, and then walked him back to his doubtlessly enraged guards.

Who were headed right for him. One guard had a hand on his sword.

Raihan let out a wail of terror, dropped both Leon’s hand and their hard-earned fish, and ran.

“Raihan, wait!!” came Leon’s voice, calling after him. The sound of the guards’ armor suggested that they were catching up to him.

Oh gods. Oh, gods, they were going to catch him and throw him in irons and lock him away forever and ever. No one would believe that he was only trying to help. Adults _never_ listened to children, and he had the additional detriments of being both poor and an orphan. They were going to lock him away for kidnapping and injuring the crown prince, and then he’d never see Aria ever again, or feel the grass under his feet, or— 

He yelped as a guard caught him by the collar, his tunic ripping under the pressure, and then he was scooped up and held under the guard’s arm.

“I’m sorry!” Raihan wailed, frightened tears spilling from his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! Don’t take me away!”

The guard sighed, still catching his breath from the chase.

“We aren’t going to hurt ya, kid, just…”

Leon came storming over in a huff, a sudden authoritative air about him, his cheeks flushed. “Put him _down!_ ”

“Y-your Highness!,” the guard protested, still holding onto Raihan. 

“Release him!” came Leon’s adamant reply to the guard’s protestings, and finally the guard relented, setting Raihan down on his feet.

Raihan, to his shame, couldn’t stop the tears that had started, and stood where he was placed. He trembled head to toe as he miserably wiped his face with a grubby sleeve, the tunic now ripped badly along the shoulder. Leon came right over to Raihan, reaching out and gently resting a hand on his arm.

“Are you okay, Raihan?” he asked quietly, heedless of the guards nearby.

Raihan nodded, even as tears dripped off his chin. “I’m not… they’re not… a-am I in trouble?”

Leon shook his head, taking hold of Raihan’s hand and squeezing it tightly.

“No, you’re not in trouble. I’m sorry that they scared you. They were just worried, isn’t that right?” He frowned at the guards, who nodded.

“Y-yes, sire… the King and Queen have been beside themselves with worry after you disappeared…”

“See?” Leon said as he looked back at Raihan, “it’s okay, they aren’t gonna punish you or anything.” 

He took a few gulping breaths and nodded. Leon stroked the back of Raihan’s hand with his thumb.

“O-okay. ...Are you really the Prince?”

Leon nodded slowly, his expression growing troubled again.

“...yes… does…. does that mean that you don’t like me anymore?”

“What? No! I…” He kicked a bare foot in the dirt, and now _really_ noticed just how different they looked and what different lives they had. “Do you still wanna play with me? Even though I’m… I’m a nobody?”

“You’re not a nobody, you’re my _friend!_ Of course I want to play with you!”

“Really?” Raihan brightened. “You mean it? When can we play again?”

Leon bit his lower lip, chewing on it slightly.

“I… I’m not sure, I’ll have to ask my parents… We don’t usually come this way, but if you came to the castle, I’ll make sure they let you in.”

“Wow! I’ve never walked all the way to the castle before… they’ll really let me in?”

Leon nodded firmly. “Of course! You’re my friend!”

Raihan beamed, the last of his tears slipping away, and neither of them noticed the worried look the guards exchanged.

“Well, I gotta get my fish back to Aria,” Raihan said reluctantly. “But I’ll come visit soon!” 

“O-okay!” Leon grinned at him, giving his hand one more squeeze before he let it go. “I’ll see you soon, Raihan!”

“Yeah, you will!” Raihan promised. He scooped up his fish, brushing it off, and gave Leon one more enthusiastic wave before he headed back toward Clearfield. He may have to scrub pots and repair his tunic tomorrow, but today had been more than worth it. His heart full, Raihan skipped all the way home.


	2. Budding Blossoms - Chapter 2

As expected, Aria was extremely cross over Raihan’s disappearance, and was only slightly mollified by the big carp. She wasn’t at all impressed by his torn clothing, or his proclamation that he’d become best friends with Crown Prince Leon. He spent the next few days catching up on his chores, and even took on extra work as punishment for shirking his duties and his tall tales. Over the next week, he eagerly looked over every time someone entered the inn, hoping that Leon had come to visit.

But Leon never came.

Despite the absence of his best and only friend, Raihan kept his spirits up. Leon had told him that he didn’t know if his parents - the King and Queen, Raihan needed to remind himself - would let him come visit. Well, if Leon couldn’t come, then Raihan would take it upon himself to go to him instead. 

Raihan woke well before the dawn to hurry through his chores, grabbed the carefully constructed set of complex multi-reed pipes he’d made, and took to the road. The distant towers of Hammerlocke Castle sat on the horizon, and Raihan kept his eyes on them with a spring in his step.

Only when the sun sat high in the sky at midday did he realize he’d made a terrible mistake. He’d spent his whole life in Clearfield and the wild lands around the small farming town, and the towers of Hammerlocke Castle were easily visible. He was sure it would take three hours at most to walk to Hammerlocke, but it was midday and the castle looked no closer than it did from the village. Raihan hadn’t thought to pack food or water, and finally stopped at a little creek to take a drink and forage some wild hawthorn. He lamented that it was too early in the year for hawthorn berries, but the leaves and flowers were perfectly palatable. 

Growling stomach appeased, Raihan looked once more to the distant towers, and reluctantly admitted that he’d miscalculated. Even if he kept walking all day, he didn’t know for sure that he’d make it to Hammerlocke by nightfall, and he wasn’t at all prepared for a full day’s journey, much less a full night. Disappointed, he turned back and returned to Clearfield.

After an hour of moping and feeling sorry for himself, Raihan straightened up with new determination. Just because he couldn’t walk to Hammerlocke didn’t mean that he’d never see Leon again. With winter over, the spring caravans would be on the move, and it would be an easy thing to catch a ride on one of the wagons. Clearfield Village sat right on a main road, and most of Aria’s customers were tradesmen on their way to and from the capital city. All he needed to do was talk his way onto one of the caravans that passed through, and he’d have an easy ride to Hammerlocke.

Once again, Raihan’s plan did not go as smoothly as he expected. It turned out that caravans had all kinds of rules about who got to ride with them. Everyone in the caravan was either a merchant, a tradesman, a guard, or an apprentice. He was crossly informed that there were no freeloaders allowed. One of the merchants even looked him up and down and called him a thief!

His opportunity didn’t come until days later, almost two weeks after he’d met Leon. A traveling tinker stopped at their inn for the night, and though he wasn’t part of anything as big as a caravan, he had a little mule and a wagon for his wares, and he was headed for Hammerlocke. The inn had been very busy that night, so Raihan scurried about the floor, helping bring food and drink to the patrons. Over the course of the evening, he got to chatting with the tinker in between waiting tables. The old man found the stories of his adventures amusing, and agreed to take Raihan to Hammerlocke in exchange for keeping him company and telling him more stories along the way.

Delighted, Raihan agreed, and slipped out to join him the next morning. He hadn’t said a word to Aria, afraid that she’d forbid him to go. He brought a little pack with a lump of hard cheese, a crust of bread, his belt knife, a skin of water, and the precious pipes he wanted to give to Leon. The wagon ride was delightful, and though the little mule wasn’t very fast, she was still faster than Raihan’s little legs could carry him. They passed the day talking and sharing stories, and the tinker even shared his lunch with Raihan: jerky, a hard roll, and dried fruit.

As they finally drew closer to Hammerlocke in the late afternoon, Raihan fully realized the depth of his miscalculation. From Clearfield, all he’d ever seen was Hammerlocke Castle. He knew, logically, that there was a city beneath those battlements, but all he could see was a wall and the castle towers. Now he knew that the castle and the walls around it sat on top of a hill on the far north end of the city. Clearfield was north of Hammerlocke, so all he’d ever seen was the back of the castle and a sheer, steep hill. On the south side of the castle, however, was an entire city. Raihan thought he knew what to expect. He was dead wrong.

The city walls went on and on and on, and as the tinker guided their cart to the East Gate, the city walls kept going to the south. Was all of this one city? Clearfield had about five hundred or so people who lived in the village. Raihan knew the capital would be much bigger, but he hadn’t been able to fathom just _how_ big. It only got worse as they passed the gates and made it into the city proper.

Raihan expected a lot of people, but not the _noise._ There were people everywhere, and every one of them was loud! They chatted together on street corners, town criers shouted news that made no sense to him, merchants hawked their wares while customers argued prices, guardsmen shouted to make way for a carriage moving urgently, and more and more and more until Raihan’s head was spinning. The tinker was kind enough to let Raihan stay with him until he’d reached the marketplace, but then kindly thanked him for his company and wished him luck.

He was reluctant to leave his new companion and venture into the city alone, but he’d taken up a great deal of the tinker’s generosity as it was and knew he shouldn’t overstay his welcome. Besides. He had a prince to find. He thanked him profusely, and set out into the marketplace alone.

Raihan’s plan had been to enter the city, head for the castle, and find Leon. He’d finally managed the first step in his plan, but now that he was within the city walls, he found the second step significantly harder than anticipated. The castle was surprisingly hard to find, for one thing. While it dominated the landscape of the rolling hills and fields around Clearfield, the tall walls and buildings within Hammerlocke frequently hid the castle from view. He was further hindered by the fact that the slow little mule had gotten them to Hammerlocke in the late afternoon, and after only a few hours of wandering, the sun was already starting to set. 

As darkness fell, Raihan was shocked to find that the city didn’t sleep. Although there were less people about, the streets were still very busy compared to the sleepy little village he was from. Tall oil lamps illuminated the streets, lighting the way for people who still went about their business after dark. 

Raihan’s stomach growled. Lunch had been a long time ago, and he eagerly ate his bread and cheese, grateful that the old tinker had shared his lunch so Raihan would still have something for dinner. Perhaps that had even been why the old man had volunteered up his food, having seen how ill-prepared Raihan was. 

Belly full, Raihan went in search of an inn, realigning his goals to search for Leon tomorrow. As he slowly adapted to the crowded streets and close buildings of the city, he found a handful of inns, but quickly learned that, without any coin, he wouldn’t even be allowed to sleep in the stables, and the stablehands guarded the valuable horses carefully. He was called a number of rude things: thief, urchin, and beggar, to name a few. Only when a burly innkeeper threatened to beat him did he scamper back out into the streets, too afraid to try again for fear that the next innkeeper would do more than shout and threaten him. He’d been up before dawn to make the journey, and his toes dragged on the cobblestones, the stone harsher on his bare feet than the packed dirt he was used to.

Exhausted, overwhelmed, and seeing no other option, Raihan gloomily looked for somewhere else to sleep. He’d seen guards shooing beggars off the street, and was sure he’d only find more trouble if he plopped down on a public bench or fountain for the night. Instead he found a secluded spot behind a large, squat building, some sort of artificer or carpenter’s workshop he guessed from the amount of lumber and materials piled in the small yard behind the building. Whatever their purpose, the stacks of wood gave him enough cover to hide and curl up on the ground. The wood shavings and sawdust made a poor bed compared to his straw mattress at home, but it was better than the stone ground. He lay on the dirty ground and shed a few tears, feeling quite sorry for himself, but it wasn’t long before his exhaustion overtook him and he faded into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Raihan awoke to the sounds of voices, a man and a woman, discussing what sounded like some sort of house they were in charge of building, but used a lot of terms that went right over Raihan’s head. They walked among the stacks of lumber, stopping by a tall stack of dark wood, then returned to the building once they’d verified their inventory. Fearing discovery, Raihan scrambled to his feet— or tried to.

He was stiff all over. Though the lumber had protected him from the wind, the spring night was still very cold, and his hands and feet were almost numb. He gave himself a careful examination, but once he determined he didn’t have chilblains or frostbite, he stumbled slowly to his feet and slipped out of the lumberyard. 

His stomach complained bitterly, but he didn’t have any coin to purchase food. Raihan knew he was poor. He didn’t have a copper coin to his name, as a matter of fact, but he’d never really been hungry before. Even when he and Aria were struggling at their worst, there was always game to hunt or fish to catch or plants to forage in the fields and woods around their home. Sure, most of the time the food they had wasn’t rich meats or sweet pastries, and it was more often than not cabbage stew, porridge, boiled tubers, and hard breads, but it was still food. Even if Raihan couldn’t fill his belly with things he found on the edge of the Fairy Forest, he’d always been able to find enough food to stave off hunger, even in the winter. But the city was completely different. The torturous smells of meat pies, fresh bread, and savory stews turned his stomach over and over, cramping with hunger pangs, but without coin, he couldn’t have any of it. His best bet would be to find Leon as soon as possible, and insist on having breakfast. 

After some cautious exploration, Raihan finally found a large, busy street that had a clear view of the castle. Relieved, he followed the street eagerly toward the castle as the city woke up around him, growing busier and louder by the moment. The street sloped gradually upward, leading up the hill where the castle was perched, and Raihan was shocked to find another wall, manned by guards who carefully watched everyone who entered and exited. 

Raihan could tell the castle was still pretty far away, so these weren’t the gates to the castle grounds, but he had no idea what else they could be. Holding himself tall, he followed the flow of people through the gates.

“Whoa there,” A guard grabbed him by the shoulder just as he was about to reach the gate. “What business do you have in the Upper City?”

“Upper City?” Raihan asked, perplexed.

“Tch,” the guard huffed. “Past these gates is Upper Hammerlocke, where you’re at is Lower Hammerlocke. If you’ve got a reason to go into the Upper City, let me hear it.”

Raihan’s heart raced. The guards had swords and crossbows at their sides, and he was sure they weren’t just for show.

“Why aren’t you asking everyone else why they want to go in?” Raihan asked, putting on a brave face. Indeed, there was a steady, even flow of people coming and going through the massive gates, and no one else had been stopped.

“Because not everyone looks like a pickpocket urchin,” the guard scowled, patience wearing thin. “Where do you think you’re going, kid?”

“To the castle,” Raihan said, putting on his best innocent face. 

The guard frowned at him.

“The castle.”

Or maybe that was the wrong thing to say.

“Yes,” Raihan said, trying to save face. “I’m friends with Leon— er… with Prince Leon, and he said I could come up and visit him, and—”

The guard gave him an unceremonious shove that knocked Raihan onto his rear. 

“Get out of here kid.”

“But—”

“One more word and I’ll have you arrested, you little liar!”

Raihan’s heart leapt into his throat and he scrambled away, fleeing the gate. He didn’t stop until he was out of sight of the guard, heart pounding and shaking like a leaf. It wasn’t fair. He hadn’t said a single lie! Why wouldn’t the guard let him explain? Well. There was more than one way to get around a wall, and his way wouldn’t bother with rude guards. Gathering up his courage and his pride, Raihan started making his way around the edge of the wall that separated Upper and Lower Hammerlocke. 

Midafternoon, he finally found what he was looking for. On the other side of the wall was a fancy weeping willow tree, long, sinewy branches hanging over the wall. While surprised at the presence of a willow in the middle of the city, he wasn’t about to question his luck. It took some work to find a branch that could support him, but with his hands on the willow branches and his feet on the wall, he managed to climb to the top of the wall and use the same method to rappel down the other side. 

With his feet firmly back on the ground, he found himself in an extravagant garden, with trees, lush grasses, hedges, and flowers in every color. Ahead of him was the largest, fanciest house he’d ever seen, a full three stories tall with stone exterior, decorated with carvings and statues. 

He wandered through the garden, eyes wide with wonder, until he found a bed of lush chickweed. The way it was arranged around a fountain made it clear that it was supposed to be decorative, but chickweed was one of Raihan’s favorite foraging plants, and his stomach growled in desperation. Without further ado, Raihan dropped on his rear and dug into the rich leaves. He stuffed his face, the taste sweeter than he could have dreamed of, but he’d only gotten a few handfuls when an angry shout broke him out of his bliss.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” A man in dirt-stained trousers, a gardener, by the look of him, was rushing toward Raihan, shaking a rake. “Get out of here, you little thief!”

Raihan bolted upright and ran, sprinting from the garden as fast as his feet could carry him, the gardener shouting after him the whole way. He squeezed through a gap in a hedgerow and climbed over a short little wall, and was abruptly back in the middle of a busy street. Now he could see why the Upper City was separated from the rest of Hammerlocke. The Upper City wasn’t as overwhelmingly busy as what he’d seen already of Hammerlocke, but there was a stark difference between the two sides of the wall. Huge, extravagant houses and shops lined the streets, getting fancier and fancier as they approached the castle at the top of the hill. 

This is where the wealthy people lived. It wasn’t necessarily sealed off from the rest of the city, but of course the guards would want to keep out anyone who looked as ratty as Raihan currently did. Already, people were giving him sideways looks and giving him space, and a foppish man dressed all in velvet and lace even protectively grabbed his belt pouch as he passed. 

Raihan sighed, no longer surprised. Did he really look _that_ suspicious? How did he look more like a thief than a country bumpkin? Or maybe that’s just what rich people thought about the poor, thief or not. Although… he supposed the chickweed belonged to whoever owned that garden. Maybe he _was_ a thief. But was it really stealing if they weren’t using it? It was perfectly good food, being set out as a decoration, not to feed anyone. Though he grudgingly accepted they _were_ using it, just not for anything useful.

Raihan was too tired for these moral quandaries. Dejected, tired, and still hungry after the few handfuls of chickweed, Raihan trudged toward the palace.

He wasn’t surprised to see another wall protecting the castle, taller than even the protective wall around the city, with guards patrolling along the top of it as well. He’d expected this one, in fact. But Leon had told him that the guards would let him in, so it was with a glad smile that he plodded up to the guards at the small gate.

These guards were even more fancily dressed than the others had been, and glanced at one another as the small, dirty boy approached the gate. One moved to stand in front of him, blocking his way through the open gate that led into an open courtyard.

“Woah there, son, where do you think you’re going?”

Raihan looked up at him, relieved. 

“My name is Raihan. I’m going to see Prince Leon.”

The guard blinked at him in surprise, then looked at his fellow guard, who shrugged. He let out a sigh and looked back at Raihan.

“Look, kid, we can’t let you in here. Why don’t you run along?”

“But…” Raihan looked up at him, eyes wide. “But we’re friends. He said I could come. He wanted me to.”

The guard sighed more heavily and patted Raihan on the shoulder, starting to turn him around.

“I’m sure he did. But we can’t let just anyone see the Crown Prince, y’know? He’s really important and busy.”

“But…” 

No, this wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Leon said! He said the guards would let him in! Tears welled in his eyes as the final step of his plan crumbled around him.

“But he wanted me to come. He told me to come. He’s my friend.”

The guard’s grip got tighter, and his voice grew more stern.

“Kid. Raihan, you said? I don’t know much about the Crown Prince, but I _do_ know that he doesn’t have any friends, and he never leaves the castle. So he couldn’t be friends with you. So just between us?” He leaned in close, patting Raihan on the back. “Better get yourself a better story.”

Raihan’s lip trembled, but the sharp tone of the guard’s words kept him from arguing. Like before at the wall to the Upper City, Raihan walked until he was out of sight of the guard, then started inspecting the wall to the Palace. This time, there were no convenient willow trees, no building a little too close, not even ivy on the walls that Raihan could try to climb. The walls to the palace were much more secure and closely watched, and his attentions did not go unnoticed. It was only when a guard from atop the wall fired a warning shot, the crossbow bolt clattering to the stone inches from his feet, did Raihan finally turn and run. Tears streamed down his face as he fled the palace walls back into the Upper City, where he was only met with more disgust and shouts of “Thief!” and “Pickpocket!” Finally, an old woman with a shrill voice called for a guard to take the disgusting boy away, and Raihan fled once again, climbing over a wall into the yard of another wealthy estate. 

The sound of barking met him the moment his feet hit the ground and his heart leapt into his throat. Before he could scramble back over the wall, his years of experience outdoors with the monsters and animals of the farms and the forest kicked in. He recognized that these were barks of excitement, not of alarm, and the veritable pack of black and yellow dogs that rushed toward him showed no aggression in their eyes and posture.

Raihan fell to his knees and sobbed with relief. They’d been the only friendly faces he’d seen since he left the old tinker, and he was glad for it. The dogs eagerly rushed over to sniff Raihan, ecstatic over the new smells he brought with him and licking away his tears. Looking around, Raihan saw that this yard was nothing like the fancy garden from before, and was much more practical. It was set up as a run for the pack of dogs, with a large kennel in one corner, and not much else. The dogs eagerly sniffing him were all hounds, and Raihan surmised this must be a lord’s hunting hounds, which explained why they were so friendly to a stranger. A hunting hound wouldn’t be very popular if he attacked a lord’s fellow hunters, after all. 

He froze when he heard shouting, and looked around frantically. The only hiding place was the large kennel, and Raihan sprinted for it, the hounds cheerfully running with him. He slipped inside just in time for an older woman to come out of the large house, a massive pot under one arm.

“What’s all the racket this time? If it’s another gods-be-damned squirrel…”

Delighted, the dogs swarmed her, bright-eyed and baying with excitement.

“Alright, alright, down, all of you! Yes, I know. Supper time, have at it!”

The woman poured the pot into a large trough, then went back inside, muttering about squirrels. 

Raihan waited a moment to see if she would return, then sprinted out of the kennel and to the trough. It appeared to be some sort of mishmash stew, with scraps of meat and gristle, burnt crusts of bread, moldy vegetables, all of it softened by the thin broth. This must be all the leftovers from the big house’s kitchen, being fed at the end of the day to the hounds instead of going to waste. 

If only Aria had so many leftovers after a day at the inn! Usually, anything extra she put into a stew for the next day, unless she was worried that it was unpalatable enough that paying customers would refuse it. Only then did she and Raihan enjoy an extra meal. 

His stomach growled, and Raihan didn’t even hesitate before joining the hounds in their meal, grabbing anything that looked even remotely edible and stuffing his face until the dogs had licked the trough clean.

With nowhere else to turn and the sun setting on his second miserable day in Hammerlocke, Raihan didn’t even question following the dogs back to their kennel. He curled up among the pile of warm, furry bodies, much better than his previous night out on the cold, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

After a breakfast with the dogs and a morning playing with them, Raihan felt emboldened. Maybe those guards just hadn’t heard that he was Leon’s friend. There were a lot of guards, after all, and the one who said Leon had no friends and never left the castle was dead wrong. He’d met Leon outside the castle, after all! Either way, it was best not to risk being seen by the guards again, as they had been nothing but trouble all the way through. Instead, Raihan crept up near the castle gates and waited, hiding out of view behind a fancy hedge. 

Almost an hour later, a large group of men with a wagon, looking to be stonemasons or some other type of builders headed for the castle gates. Raihan’s heart raced, waiting for the right moment, then darted forward as the guards let them through, sliding in behind them, and using the wagon to hide his small frame.

The masons didn’t notice the small boy slipping inside the castle gates with them, all discussing their upcoming work for the royal family. Sounds coming from the wagon on the cobblestones easily masked any noise Raihan made, and the guards turned away from the craftsmen’s wagon, returning to their posts.

It worked!

Raihan beamed, giddy with adrenaline and confidence, and looked around. The area between the wall and the castle itself consisted of stone pathways and hard packed dirt, bland and utilitarian. Everything about the castle had been built with practicality and defense in mind, not luxury, and looked nothing like the extravagant noble homes of the Upper City. There were several short, simple buildings that looked like storage sheds along the inside of the wall, and in the distance to his right he could see guards training. 

The last thing he wanted was to get involved with more guards, so he slipped away from the masons before they could notice him and hustled in the other direction. Directly in front of the gates, on the other end of the courtyard were two enormous wooden doors that led into the castle proper. To his left seemed to be more of the same functional decor and more workers milling about.

Gods, the castle was so _big!_ How was he going to find Leon in all this? Looking anxiously behind him, Raihan put some more speed in his step, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the guards as possible, and then he’d sort out how to find Leon. 

A high voice pierced through the low murmur of voices, the high voice of a child, with a ring of familiarity to it. Raihan gasped and broke into a run. Was that him? Was he here? Obviously he was here, but was he _here?_ He looked eagerly around the grounds, looking for a shock of purple hair. So intent was he on his search, that he didn’t see the well-dressed man until he ran headlong into him.

“Oof!”

“What the—?!”

The well-dressed man stumbled, leaning on a cane as Raihan collided hard with him. He quickly recovered, however, and looked down at Raihan in shock and bewilderment.

“How on _earth_ did you get in here?”

“O-oh, um…” The man obviously wasn’t a guard, dressed much more like a nobleman. He had black hair and a well trimmed beard, and his cane was extravagant, the top carved to look like the head of an elephant. Raihan wondered if maybe _this_ man knew where Leon was. “I’m Raihan. I’m Leon’s friend? He said I could come see him.”

The man’s expression turned from one of confusion to a deep frown. He reached out and roughly grabbed Raihan’s arm.

“I’m afraid you can’t be here,” he said curtly, and started to pull him toward where the guards were training.

“W-wait, no!” Raihan dug his heels into the dirt and pulled, but he couldn’t compete with the man’s strength. “No, you don’t understand! I’m his friend! He invited me! Why does no one believe me?”

The man only tightened his hold on Raihan and grunted as he dragged him along the ground.

“Come along,” he said through his strain, “no need to make a fuss!...”

“No, no, please, don’t!” 

To have come so far only to for everything to have been for nothing was excruciating, and Raihan let out a wail of despair. 

“No!” he shouted, tears running down his cheeks once again as he fought harder. “No, I need to see him! He wanted me to come and I came and we really are friends and I taught him how to make a pipe and I want to see him!”

“Hush!” the man said harshly, and once again tried to pull him along, but froze as Leon’s voice rang out clearly through the courtyard.

“Raihan?”

Beyond the robed man, there was Leon, dressed in an outfit that looked far more practical than the one he’d worn when Raihan last saw him, starting to jog toward them.

“Raihan, is that you?!”

“ _Leon!!!_ ” Raihan cried desperately, pulling hard against the man’s iron grip. “Leon, _help!_ ”

“ _Raihan!_ ” Leon called back, and suddenly his tone got more intense. “Let go of him, Rose!”

The man holding Raihan sputtered, but ultimately lost his grip on Raihan in his surprise. 

Raihan tore away from the man and sprinted towards Leon. They collided with a tight embrace and Raihan let out a wail. 

“I n-never thought I’d see you again!”

Leon held tight to Raihan, sniffling as tears came to his own eyes.

“M-me too! M-my parents wouldn’t let me go back, a-and you hadn’t come and hadn’t come…”

“I tried!” Raihan wailed. “But it was too far to walk and so I had to wait for a wagon to let me ride, and then th-the guards wouldn’t let me in and I had to s-sleep outside and I’ve been here for _three days_ and I finally had to sneak in and no one believed me when I said I was your friend and I got called such mean things…”

“ _What?!_ ” Leon exclaimed, holding him tighter, “wh-who called you mean things?! How dare they!! I told the head guard—I told him you were coming! I said to tell all the guards to let you in!!”

“Th-they said you didn’t have any friends and you never left the castle so I couldn’t be your friend! But you did, and you do and— oh!” He pulled away from Leon and pulled the precious pipes out of his belt pouch. “Look! I made the fancy pipes! They’re not very good, but they still work!”

Leon sniffled as Raihan pulled away, one hand clutching to Raihan’s grubby tunic as he rifled through his pouch. His golden eyes lit up at the sight of the pipes, and he took them carefully. 

“Th-they’re wonderful! Thank you so much, Raihan!”

Rose, as Leon had called the robed man, stood off to one side, watching the pair impassively, not so much leaning on his cane as he was using it as a prop. He finally let out a sigh and turned away, heading for the castle’s main doors.

A brilliant smile split Raihan’s tear-stained face, and the light in Leon’s eyes made everything worth it. And now that they knew there had obviously been a little mix up regarding letting Raihan into the castle, they could get it fixed and Raihan could visit whenever he wanted. Or, at least, whenever he could get a ride to Hammerlocke.

“I’m sorry it was so awful for you,” Leon said, still holding one of the sleeves of Raihan’s tunic, “sleeping outside?...”

Raian nodded. “I got into Hammerlocke in the afternoon, but I got lost and couldn’t find my way to the castle, and then it got dark. But I didn’t have any money so I couldn’t sleep at an inn, so… so I had to sleep on the ground. And the next day I got to the castle but they didn’t let me in so I was so scared I was gonna have to sleep on the ground again because it was so cold and I was gonna get frostbite like Farmer Hanover did, and he lost two of his fingers, but then I found someone’s dogs and they let me sleep with them, and I—” 

He broke off as his stomach complained loudly. 

Leon’s expression was one of concern, and he moved his hold from Raihan’s tunic to his hand. He began pulling Raihan toward the castle doors.

“C’mon, there’s tons of food in the kitchens. ...h-have you had food?” Tears pricked at his eyes, a complex set of emotions on his young face as he processed everything Raihan had been through to get to him.

Raihan shook his head, too ashamed to admit that he stole weeds from a garden and ate with dogs.

“I… I’d like food. I’m real hungry.”

“Well, let’s go get some, then!” Leon’s steps became more hurried, but he stopped short as a small group of adults came out of the doors. 

On one end was Rose, looking a bit grim. On the other end was a short, stern-faced man with flecks of gray in his black hair. He was dressed in armor, though instead of a normal sword he carried two strange, curved swords and a tightly bound scroll on his belt. Front and center were a man and a woman in richly extravagant clothing. The woman had dark hair that only seemed purple when the light hit it, while the man’s hair was a slightly lighter shade of purple than Leon’s. Both wore circlets of gold upon their heads.

“M-mother, father!”

The King looked down at the two of them, raising his eyebrows.

“Rose told us that a ruckus was going on out here… is this true?”

“No, father!” Leon said, moving just in front of Raihan, “Raihan just came to visit me, and Rose wanted to throw him out!”

Raihan shrank back behind Leon, intimidated by the hard, almost cold look on Rose’s face and the stern looks on Leon’s parents. His parents— the King and Queen of Galar, the rulers of the whole country. He shrank back further.

The King and Queen exchanged a glance with each other, then the Queen stepped forward.

“This is the boy you told us about, right Leon?” she said, her voice like warm honey.

“That’s right!” he said, holding Raihan’s hand tighter, “he helped me find my way back when we were out in the country, and taught me how to fish, and made sure I didn’t faint when I cut myself!”

The Queen smiled warmly at Raihan, crouching down to be more eye level with him and Leon.

“Is that true, Raihan? Were you the boy who led him back to us?”

Raihan nodded.

“Yes, ma’am. …Oh! Er… I mean… yes, y’majesty.”

“We’re very grateful to you, Raihan,” she said softly, “we were very worried about Leon when he got lost. I’m sure we wouldn’t have found him as quickly without your help.”

Raihan looked up, encouraged by her warm, gentle voice. 

“Oh, well… it weren’t nothing, really. He was lost an’ it’s not good to get lost so close to the Fairy Forest, and he didn’t know how to fish, so…” he shrugged.

She smiled more warmly and nodded. “Regardless, know that we are grateful. And it couldn’t have been easy to make it here to Leon… you must have been very determined.” The Queen cast a glance back at her husband, who made a slight change in expression, but no more than that.

Raihan nodded again. “He said he was gonna come visit, but didn’t know if he could, so I had to come here, but… but it’s been… hard.” 

He didn’t want to complain to the Queen. It was somehow okay to tell Leon all the misery he’d been through to get to him, but telling the Queen felt like whining, or like he was trying to make her feel sorry for him. He didn’t want sympathy. He just wanted his friend.

“I see… well, it seems as though it would be quite impossible to keep you two from each other…”

Leon’s face split into a grin. “R-really?! He can stay?”

The Queen chuckled softly. “Raihan, you are hereby welcome into the castle whenever you please. Where is it that you live, honey?”

The King sighed slightly behind her, but smiled a bit and ultimately said nothing.

Raihan looked up at her in shock, only just managing to stammer out his reply.

“C-Clearfield.”

“Ah, yes, that is quite close by to where we were…” She smiled kindly at Raihan. “Perhaps we can arrange for Leon to come visit you next by carriage… and with an escort, to be sure he doesn’t get lost again. Is that all right with you?”

Raihan brightened considerably at the thought of Leon coming to him instead of taking on the journey all the way to Hammerlocke. 

“That would be great! I live at the Clearfield Inn with Miss Aria!”

He grimaced once the words left his mouth, thinking about how worried she must be after he disappeared without a word.

The Queen read his expression carefully. “How many days have you been away from the inn?”

“Um… three.”

“I’m sure Miss Aria must be worried about you… we can send you home in a carriage when you go, so that you get home quicker. Would that be okay?”

Raihan gave her a look of profound relief. 

“Yes, please… I don’t have another way home.”

The Queen nodded and stood back up. “It shall be done. We’ll see to it that you and Leon are able to see each other as often as we can manage.”

Leon beamed and sprang forward to give her a hug. “Thank you, mother!! Thank you!!”

Raihan gave her a wide grin, his heart lifting. 

“Thank you!” He didn’t move any closer to the Queen, however, acutely aware of just how grubby and dirty he was after three days out on his own.

The Queen stroked Leon’s purple hair and smiled at the both of them.

“Now then, how about you two go get washed up, and I’ll see that the kitchen has some lunch ready for both of you when you’re done, hm?”

Raihan’s gratitude was so profound that tears welled in his eyes once more and he choked on his reply. 

“Y-yes. _…please._ ” 

She nodded and turned to walk into the castle. “I’ll see you both in the dining hall soon, then.”

The King gave them both a nod, and moved to follow alongside the Queen, with the warrior following close behind them both. Rose gave the boys an odd look, appraising them for a moment, then slipped after the King and Queen.

Leon let out a sigh once they were out of earshot, grabbing Raihan’s hand again.

“C’mon, we can get clean in my room, and then you’ll see how great the food from our kitchens is!”

Raihan clung to his hand and followed him into the castle, his eyes bright and his heart full, happier than he could ever remember feeling. After all the heartache and hardship, he’d finally made it.

With Leon’s hand in his, he knew everything was going to be better.


	3. Budding Blossoms - Chapter 3

“Look! Leon, right over there, look!”

Raihan stopped in his tracks, completely dropping the game they were playing, and pointed at the grassy hillside.

“Huh?” Leon skidded to a stop next to Raihan, suddenly pulled out of their game of tag he’d been losing quite handily. “What is it, where?”

“Right there! Do you see them?”

Basking in the sun on the hillside were several creatures. They were about the size of a dog and generally reptilian, with green scales and a wide, squat build. They each had a massive bulb growing from their backs, like a flower that hadn’t yet bloomed. Leon gasped, his eyes wide and bright.

“Woah!! What are they?”

“I haven’t picked a name for them yet,” Raihan admitted. “But I’ve met ‘em before, they’re pretty friendly, as far as monsters go. Wanna go pet one?”

Leon opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a call.

“Don’t wander off too far, boys!”

Camilla came jogging closer to them, her royal guard armor a bit too bright in the sunshine. She paused as she also spotted the creatures and looked back at the boys.

“Ah, found some of those plant lizards, I see.” Her voice was stern, but warm, and she smiled more often than most of the other guards.

“They’re nice ones, I promise!” Raihan insisted. He liked Camilla more than some of the other guards that had supervised their outings, but he hadn’t tried to drag the prince over to pet monsters in her presence before. “You just need to know how to approach them!”

“Hm…” Camilla considered both the boys and the creatures. “The ones I’ve come across mostly like to sleep, but I can’t say I’ve seen anyone pet one before… it still might not be a good idea.”

“Please?” Leon begged, putting on his best puppy dog face.

“I’ve done it before,” Raihan insisted. “Lots of times. I know all the monsters around here!”

Camilla sized up Raihan for a moment, resting a hand under her chin.

“How about you put your coin where your mouth is first, and then we’ll come over?”

Raihan puffed himself up. “Fine! You’ll see. And pay attention, because you can’t just go running over, you gotta show them you’re nice!”

With a determined look, Raihan walked across the field to the hillside. Once he was close, he glanced back at the pair watching him, then slowed his pace considerably. He walked with slow, noisy steps, not trying to hide or sneak up on the creatures, but making it obvious that he was nearby. The plant reptiles, for their part, were mostly concerned with basking in the sun, but one finally looked over at him as Raihan reached the base of the hill. It let out a warning growl and Raihan stopped.

He held still for a few long moments, keeping eye contact with the creature, then sank into a crouch. He brought his arms in close to his body to make himself appear smaller, closer to the creature’s size. 

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m not gonna make you move. And I’m not gonna hurt you, neither. That’s what you’re worried about, right? You just got comfy. You just wanna sit in the sun with your friends. Well, that’s okay. I can do that, too.”

He eased lower and layed in the grass, sprawling out just like the other plant reptiles. 

“See? I’m just like you.”

He’d attracted the attention of several others, and they watched him closely for a long moment before they finally reached the conclusion that he wasn’t going to be any trouble and settled back into the grass.

Slowly, he eased forward until he was within arm’s distance of the closest creature. It opened one eye at him, but nothing more. 

“Sun feels good, huh?” He observed. The plant reptile didn’t move. “You know what else feels good?”

Raihan slowly reached over, watching the creature for any sign of distress, then gently began to rub its scaly head. It closed its eyes once again and gave a gravelly purr. Raihan grinned wide and looked back at Leon and Camilla.

Leon beamed as Raihan’s hand brushed along the lizard’s head and looked expectantly up at Camilla. She sighed and nodded.

“All right, go on over. But be as slow as Raihan was! And I’ll be waiting right here!”

Leon grinned wide and started toward Raihan and the creatures. He tried his best to go slowly, but was excited enough that he was definitely going faster than Raihan had.

Raihan watched Leon and the reactions of the creatures carefully. They were less suspicious now that the first intruding human had proved to be no trouble, but as Leon got closer to the hill, a few of them started to shift in agitation, getting their stocky feet underneath them.

“Lee, stop!” Raihan hissed. 

Leon froze in place, watching the lizards intently as they shifted, not daring to move until Raihan told him to. Camilla’s hand rested comfortably on the hilt of her sword, and she watched the scene with a sharp, critical eye.

Raihan made soothing noises and reassurances until the creatures settled.

“Okay. It’s okay. Alright, Leon. Keep coming, but slower. No, don’t go on the other side of this one, it’ll feel like we’re surrounding it. Head over to that fat one right there. He looks nice and lazy. Probably won’t blink twice at you.”

“R-right,” Leon said quietly, and inched toward the chubby creature, finally settling down next to it. He tentatively reached out a hand toward it and bit his lip as one eye opened to look at him. “...it’s okay… I’m nice… I won’t hurt you…” His hand trembled a little, hovering over it for the moment.

Raihan watched closely, still stroking the creature next to him, but all the plant reptiles on the hill had settled peacefully, nonplussed by the strange humans. Leon took a breath and finally rested his hand on the creature’s head, giggling softly as he stroked the sleepy beast.

“Woah… it’s so warm…”

“Well, they’ve all been sitting in the sun, I guess,” Raihan said. “So it makes sense.”

Leon giggled again, sitting down next to it and stroking its head.

“It’s pretty cute.”

“Yeah, I like them!” He patted the creature’s head fondly. “So many people are scared of them, but they don’t wanna cause trouble. They just want to live their lives.”

“Spending life napping in the sun… that sounds like a pretty good life to me.”

“Yeah, I’d love that!” 

As they sat chatting, a few more monsters came to investigate the strangers on the hill. A sinewy root-like creature with a bell-shaped flower head came to sniff curiously at Raihan, and a little orange bug monster with mushrooms on its back went to Leon, begging for a turn to be petted. 

Leon giggled again, happily petting any creature that came near him, all too eager for more friends.

“They’re all so friendly!”

“Most of ‘em are,” Raihan said. “You should meet my dragon! He's really friendly!”

Leon rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a grin.

“Yeah, your dragon, right,” he teased, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I _do_ have a dragon,” Raihan huffed. “He’s just… not always around.”

“So how can he be _your_ dragon, then?” Leon insisted, “Not like how a dog is always there.”

“He has the freedom to do what he wants!”

Leon giggled. “Well, I’m starting to think that you at least _know_ a dragon, even if he isn’t your pet…”

“Just because—” Raihan started, then cut off as he felt a rumble in the hillside beneath them. Leon looked down at the ground, and made a small noise of disappointment as the plant lizard finally got up, skittering away.

“What was that?”

Raihan looked around quickly. Further up the hill, one of the plant lizards had been digging into the hillside. It looked around, then cautiously tried to continue digging, only for the ground to rumble again. Raihan carefully rose to his feet.

“Lee… We might wanna get going…” 

“R-right… that sound can’t be good…” The Prince stood up, starting to back away from the hillside and the groupings of creatures.

The creature higher up the hill gave one more cautious dig at the ground, and a new monster burst forth from the ground with a flurry of dirt and grass. It looked much like a very large, very fat rabbit, almost as tall as Raihan. Its enormous ears ended in finger-like appendages, obviously meant to help it dig. It snarled at the little plant reptile, which gave a cry of fear and skittered to hide behind the largest thing it could find — which happened to be Raihan. Raihan shrank back as the dirt-covered rabbit glowered menacingly at him.

“Oh… um… I think there’s been a mix-up…”

“Raihan!” Leon called, taking a step toward the rabbit.

The rabbit snapped its gaze to Leon, then lunged at him with a howl.

“ _Leon!_ ”

Leon let out a cry of surprise, scrambling backward. A shout came from across the field as Camilla surged toward them, drawing her sword.

A shrill shriek filled the air, louder than the rabbit, louder than Leon or Raihan, louder even than Camilla’s shout. A green shape plummeted from the sky and ran headlong into the rabbit, knocking it a good ten feet away from the children. It landed hard on the hillside, planting itself firmly between the rabbit and the boys and let out a challenging roar.

It was a dragon, with gleaming emerald scales and ruby eyes, its long wings and tail tipped in crimson.

Leon’s jaw dropped open, staring at the dragon in wonder and shock. Camilla only ran faster, sword still drawn.

“Your Highness, Raihan!!”

The dragon’s head snapped over toward the new shout, and bared his long fangs at the charging, armed guard, then tensed, getting ready to pounce.

“ _No!_ ” Raihan shouted, and threw his arms around the dragon’s neck. “No, don’t! She’s nice, she’s with us!”

Leon trembled, watching the goings on between the dragon and Camilla, his fingers closing tightly around the grass beneath him. Camilla slowed, but didn’t stop advancing toward them.

The dragon’s snarl faded to a low growl, but didn’t push past Raihan’s embrace. He glanced quickly behind them, making sure the rabbit was long gone, then turned all his attention to the woman with the sword. He slowly settled back on his haunches and curled a tail protectively around himself and Raihan. Camilla gradually relaxed as the dragon did, watching it cautiously, and her sword dropped to a far less threatening stance, though she still didn’t sheathe it just yet.

A moment of tense silence passed.

“So, um…” Raihan said. “This is my dragon.” 

Leon slowly got to his feet, staring up at the large dragon, his mouth hanging open slightly.

“H-he’s incredible! …can I…?” He started moving toward the dragon, and Camilla tensed up again, but didn’t move to stop him.

“Please be careful, your Highness…”

The dragon looked quickly between the two strangers, but relaxed further when Raihan let go of his neck to grab Leon’s hand.

“Yeah! It’s okay. He wouldn’t hurt anyone, he was just worried about me! He does that, sometimes. Flies in when I’m in trouble.”

He pulled Leon closer to the dragon, who was now watching them curiously while keeping one eye on the sword. Leon held fast to Raihan’s hand, but stared up at the dragon as they approached it.

“R-really? He’s saved you before?”

“Oh, yeah,” Raihan said airily. “Lots of times. Er… well… maybe not _lots_ of times… but a few.”

The dragon finally looked down at Leon, ruby eyes bright. Leon’s golden eyes met the dragon’s, and they stared at each other for a long moment. He finally reached out toward the dragon, and rested a hand on its long neck. The dragon gracefully accepted his touch, then settled down into the grass and stretched out, getting comfortable.

A soft laugh of delight escaped Leon, and he moved in closer, putting both hands on the dragon’s scales and leaning against it.

“He’s wonderful!!”

Raihan grinned. 

“I _told_ you I had a dragon. Look, he likes scratches right here!” Raihan scratched the long horns that spiraled off the dragon’s head. Leon moved around to the dragon’s head, also reaching up to scratch the dragon’s horns. He giggled as the dragon’s back leg started thumping on the ground a little bit.

Raihan laughed with delight and began rambling, telling Leon absolutely everything about his dragon friend while they spoiled him with affection. Leon happily listened to Raihan, his amber eyes shining with wonder at the marvelous tales.

“Well,” Leon finally said, “if he is _your_ dragon, then what’s his name?”

“Flygon,” Raihan said, rubbing the dragon’s wings.

“Flygon?” Leon repeated, frowning a little, “that’s a strange name…”

“It’s not strange,” Raihan protested. “It’s because he flies in out of the blue, and then the next thing you know—”

The dragon abruptly shook off the two boys and rose to his feet. He nuzzled Raihan, chirruped at Leon, and gave Camilla an appraising look, then took off into the air. He was out of sight in seconds.

Raihan sighed, and Camilla finally let her hand fall from where it rested on her sword’s hilt.

“And the next moment, he’s gone.” 

“Flygon,” Leon repeated, staring up at the sky where the dragon had been not long ago, “huh.”

“At least he stuck around for a bit,” Raihan pouted. “He doesn’t much like people.”

Leon smiled brightly. “I’m glad he liked me, at least!”

“Well, who wouldn’t like you?” Raihan asked. “You’re so nice!”

“So are you,” Leon insisted, scooting closer to him now that the dragon was gone. “Well… you sure showed me… I guess you _do_ have a dragon friend.”

Raihain beamed proudly and took Leon’s hand.

“Well, come on! I still have so much to show you!”

Leon grinned brightly back at him, holding his hand tightly.

“Great! And when you come to the castle, I’ll introduce you to _my_ friend!”

“Your friend? Oh, the ghost, right?” Raihan asked, leading him away from the hill. He gave him a skeptical look, but didn’t push the issue.

“Yeah!” Leon said excitedly, swaying his and Raihan’s clasped hands as they walked, with Camilla following along behind them. “I know he’ll be excited to meet you, not many people can see him.”

“Really?” Raihan asked, intrigued despite his doubts. “Who _can_ see him?”

“Mostly just me,” Leon admitted with a frown, “I think Champion Kabu saw him once, but… that’s it.”

“Uh-huh. Well… I guess I’ll believe it when I see it, then,” Raihan grinned.

Leon groaned, tilting his head back.

“ _Fine._ But once you meet him, you better apologize for not believing in him!”

“If I see your ghost friend, I will!”

A huff escaped the young Prince, and he frowned deeply at Raihan.

“Ohhh, just show me more monsters already, loudmouth!”

Raihan laughed and pulled Leon along, happy to show him everything he could. The two exhausted the rest of the day and themselves searching for creatures, playing among the flowers, and talking about anything. They barely noticed as the sun began to set, the only indication of how long they’d spent together.

It was only when Aria called them back to the carriage that they realized how late it was. Raihan’s heart was full as he watched the carriage trundle away into the darkening road, and he skipped back home, already planning their next adventure.

* * *

Despite the assurances from the royal family that Leon and Raihan would be able to meet frequently, Leon had lessons and studies to focus on and Raihan needed to help Aria with the inn. There was also travel time to consider, as a carriage took several hours to reach Clearfield from Hammerlocke. Bringing Raihan into the palace and taking him home on the same day was quite impractical, considering the carriage would then still need to return once more to Hammerlocke. It was very much to Raihan’s surprise then, when a carriage arrived one bright morning, and a tall, willowy woman emerged with bags packed. She announced that she was a scullery maid sent by the queen to take Raihan’s place as Miss Aria’s assistant. Her wages would be paid by the Crown, she reassured Aria, and said that Sir Kabu had suggested that if Raihan was going to be spending so much time with Leon, then he might as well receive a proper education, too. To avoid shuttling the children back and forth so much, Raihan would move into the palace for a week or so at a time for lessons before returning home to Clearfield with books to read and homework to complete. 

Before Raihan knew it, his few possessions were packed in a bag and he was off in the carriage toward Hammerlocke to spend a week in the castle. His excitement was tempered upon his arrival, however, when he learned that lessons were _work._ He thought he was educated, being able to read and do his arithmetic, but it became quickly apparent how woefully little he knew compared to Leon and just how much catching up he had to do. 

His arithmetic was good enough to make sure a customer paid Aria enough money and gave the correct change, but the multiplication and division Leon could do was beyond him. He could read well enough, but the books he was expected to read had a great deal of big words he didn’t know the meanings of. And those were just the subjects that he had a head start in. He knew absolutely nothing about the history of Galar, and didn’t know any of Galar’s geography outside the immediate area of Clearfield and Hammerlocke, much less the rest of the _world._ Raihan’s head spun with the realization of just how big the world was and how much there was to learn about it. 

Steward Rose was no help, either. He had been given the responsibility of teaching Leon, and Raihan was now part of those lessons. Rose seemed frustrated with how much catching up Raihan had to do, and frequently gave him a book to read while he focused on Leon. Rose had been extra annoyed today, as a third student had been added to his classes, a girl about their age named Sonia. She was only joining them for history lessons. Being noble-born, Sonia had her own private tutors, but had an intense passion for history and wanted as many points of view on Galar’s history as possible. Raihan thought she was crazy for wanting more lessons, but his opinion didn’t mean a lick. 

Rose had been pulled away for some official business, and the three of them all sat in the little study hall they took their lessons in, with orders to keep reading their assigned books while Rose was away. Currently, they were reading about the turbulent history between the Galarian royal family and the fairies, which should have been interesting, but the book made it sound completely dull.

Raihan fidgeted and finally set his book down.

“My head feels so stuffed with new things that it can’t hold any more,” he complained. “I dunno if I can keep doing this.”

“Shhh!” Sonia shushed him, giving him a pout with her already pouty lips. “Steward Rose said to keep reading while he was away!”

“Aw, don’t be such a stickler, Sonia,” Leon said, eagerly closing his own book, “he’s been at us all day… we haven’t even had a break yet!”

“Yeah, Sonia!” Raihan said. “And I ain’t gonna do everything Rose says just because he’s the one who said it.”

He closed his book, not bothering to mark his place.

Leon made a face. “Rose’s been real mean today! I hate when he gets after you, Raihan! It’s not _your_ fault you don’t know this stuff!”

“I know!” Raihan said, deliberately speaking louder purely because Sonia had shushed him. “And why do I gotta know this stuff anyway? What do I care if Hulbury’s got the biggest fishing ships in Galar?”

Sonia puffed out her cheeks, plopping her hands on her hips, and her tone was scolding.

“ _Because_ if you know that, then you’d know that Hulbury’s our biggest import of fish in the whole kingdom! And if you know _that,_ then you’ll understand why it’s important that we keep good relations with the merfolk, so we don’t take _all_ the fish and leave them with none to eat! And _then_ you’ll know—!”

Leon groaned, leaning so far back in his chair it almost toppled.

“We get it, we get it!”

“Sonia, do you know how to have fun, or are you an egghead all the time?” Raihan asked, resting his chin on a hand.

“I am _not_ an egghead!” she insisted, sitting up straight and sticking her nose in the air, “I just care about my future and the future of Galar, unlike _you_ two ruffians!”

“Ruffians?” Raihan gave her a mock look of shock. “Us?”

“Yes _you,_ ” Sonia insisted, “you especially! Leon used to pay more attention in lessons, and now you two are always passing notes behind Rose’s back!”

“You wouldn’t know a real ruffian if he came up behind you and pulled your ponytail,” Raihan groused. “And lay off our notes, we have important things to discuss!”

Sonia rolled her eyes, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

“Oh yes, I’m _sure._ Sooooo important, those monsters Leon’s always talking about when you aren’t here. Boys are so _strange._ ”

Raihan rolled his eyes.

“C’mon, Lee. Let’s get out of here. Rose’ll probably be busy for the rest of the afternoon!”

Leon chewed on his lip, glancing at the door.

“I dunno, he might come back soon, too… sometimes he talks for _ages,_ but sometimes it isn’t long at all…”

“Oh, what’s he even gonna do if we’re _not_ here? Tell us how disappointed he is and that’s it!” Raihan said, getting to his feet. “C’mon, I need to stretch my legs after being cooped up in here!”

That was all the encouraging Leon seemed to need, and he hopped off his chair. He rushed over to Raihan, grinning.

“Me too, it’s so stuffy in here! I wanna show you the gardens and—” he glanced back at Sonia, then looked back at Raihan, “a-and other stuff! Let’s go!”

Sonia huffed again, her puffy cheeks a bit red. “I’m gonna tell on you two when he comes back!!”

“Yeah, you do that, Goody-two-shoes,” Raihan scoffed. “ _We’re_ gonna actually have some fun!”

“History _is_ fun,” Sonia insisted, but Leon grabbed Raihan’s hand and pulled him out the door before she could say much else.

Leon let out a sigh once they were a hallway away from their lesson room, holding tighter to Raihan’s hand.

“Sonia likes to lecture almost as much as Rose does…” he muttered, walking firmly down the hallway.

“Yeah, she does,” Raihan agreed. He fussed with his tunic. He’d been given a whole new wardrobe his first day in the palace, comfortable cotton and soft wool. A lady had even measured his feet and gotten him boots that actually fit, which was a first for him. “She’s so fussy and snooty. Are all noble girls like that?”

“I don’t know,” Leon admitted, “she’s the only one I’ve really met.” He sighed. “But let’s not think about her _or_ Rose. I wanna show you around! We’ve barely had any time out of lessons to do things!”

“Yeah!” Raihan cheered. “This place is too big to be stuck in one room. I bet you know all the good spots!”

“Definitely!” Leon grinned at him, still pulling Raihan along. “The gardens _are_ pretty great, but we aren’t going there, because that’s where I told Sonia we were going. So I want to show you some of the neat armor and weapons that they keep in the castle!”

“Oh, wow!” Raihan beamed. “Swords and axes and bows?”

“Hm,” Leon thought for a moment, “swords and axes for sure, though I don’t think there’s bows there… The guards have all the ones they actually use down in the store.”

“Oh… Well, I don’t wanna bother the guards…” Raihan said, thinking of his previous experiences with the Royal Guard. 

“No, no, these _aren’t_ those ones. These are the ones that they _don’t_ use. They’re… too old, I think? I don’t really know, but they’re all kept in a room and are polished and such.”

“Oh, that’s okay, then. Lead the way!”

“Right!” 

Leon turned a corner and skidded to a stop. Right in front of the entrance to the gardens.

“Oh no,” he groaned, looking around frantically, “I… I thought we were going right to the vault! Not to the gardens!”

“Maybe it’s because you were thinking about the gardens?” Raihan asked. “It’s okay, let’s just turn around and go to the vault.”

“R-right… yes, I’m sure… that’s what it was,” Leon said, ducking his head in embarrassment. “The vault is… this way,” He said, though he sounded far less sure this time. They wound through a few more hallways, and they started to look rather familiar before they ended up near the entrance hall of the castle. Leon stopped as the entrance hall came into view, tears starting to fill his eyes.

“Th-this isn’t it either… wh-why can’t I find my way _anywhere?_ ”

“H-hey!” Raihan said, alarmed at the sight of his tears. “It’s okay. This castle is big and confusing. Maybe we can find someone to help us?” 

Leon nodded, sniffling and wiping at his face, but still held onto Raihan’s hand with his other hand.

“A-Allister usually helps me around the castle… but he doesn’t like it when there’s people around…”

“Oh,” Raihan said. “Allister, right…”

He wasn’t about to tease Leon about his imaginary friend, not when there were tears in his eyes, and found he didn’t know what to say. 

“Hey Leon,” came another voice, floating just above Raihan’s left ear, “don’t cry, I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner…”

Raihan yelped and jumped a foot in the air, scrambling away from the voice. Hovering just above them was the form of a boy, looking to be a little older than Raihan and Leon, dressed in fine clothes that were mussed and torn, and also out of style. He had a pale complexion, dark hair, and eerie purple eyes. 

Raihan could also see right through him.

“Allister!” Leon said, perking up, “you finally came!”

The ghostly boy ducked his head, swaying back and forth a little.

“Sorry… normally it’s just you. I tried talking to Sonia, but she didn’t see me. I was afraid Raihan wouldn’t see me, either.”

Raihan stared. “Y… you’re… you’re really a… a…” 

Allister smiled shyly at Raihan, kicking at the air.

“...a ghost?” he offered.

“Yeah. That,” Raihan gave Leon a sheepish glance, then looked back at Allister. “Um. I’m sorry for not believing you were real.”

A ghostly giggle escaped Allister, and he nodded.

“I accept your apology, Raihan of Clearfield.”

“So you’re a real, um…” Raihan shook his head. “So, can you help us find the old vault?”

Allister nodded again, and started floating back the way they came.

“Yes, I’ll take you there. C’mon, it’s this way.”

Leon beamed, grabbing Raihan’s hand again and gave him a smug smile in place of an ‘I told you so’ before tugging him along after Allister.

Raihan laughed and conceded. 

“I’ve never met a ghost before,” he said as they walked down the long stone halls. “How long have you been in the castle?”

Allister thought for a minute, leading them through many hallways and passageways. Most seemed dark and out of the way, some even dusty, suggesting hardly anyone went there.

“A long time,” he finally concluded.

“How did you die?” Raihan asked, his curiosity burning.

Leon immediately punched Raihan on the arm, frowning at him. At the same time, Allister’s form wavered a little, and he curled up in the air.

“I… I…” his voice was small and scared.

“You don’t have to answer him, Allister,” Leon said firmly.

Raihan cringed. “Sorry.”

“I-it’s okay,” Allister said in a small voice, “don’t like r-remembering.”

“So, um,” Raihan said, looking for something else to talk about. “What do you do then? Float around? Make candles flicker? Can you make stuff move?”

Allister uncurled himself and nodded, starting to drift down the hallway again.

“All of those things. It takes a lot of energy to move things, though.”

“That’s so amazing! And we’re the only ones who can see you?”

“For the most part,” Allister replied, turning into a more well-lit hallway, though it was still quite dusty. “Sometimes the adults see me, usually when energies are the most powerful… but so far, in this generation, it’s only been Leon, you, and Kabu a few times.”

“‘This generation?’” Raihan repeated. “How long is a generation?”

“A long time,” Allister reiterated.

“Ah!” Leon called out, tugging Raihan forward, “there’s the vault!”

He pulled Raihan into a long, narrow hallway, lined with full suits of armor, crests on the walls, mounted swords, and all sorts of old weaponry.

“Wow!” Raihan's eyes lit up with amazement. “This is amazing! I don’t even know what some of these are!”

Leon beamed at him, watching Raihan’s excitement rather than the weaponry. “Aren’t they wonderful? The armor is so old, but I think I like some of them better than what the guards wear. Like this one!” He pointed to a rather sleek suit of armor that was holding a halberd.

Raihan reached forward and ran his fingers across the sleek steel. 

“Wow…” He turned and shot Leon a grin. “I bet I’d look neat in armor. What do you think?” 

Leon scrunched up his face a little as he glanced between Raihan and the armor, trying to picture it. 

“I think you’ll need to be a lot taller,” he concluded.

Raihan laughed. “I bet they make short armor. They have to! …But maybe not as short as _you!_ ” 

“ _Hey!_ ” Leon huffed, shoving Raihan slightly. “They’ll _have_ to make me armor, I’m the Prince!”

“Even though you’re so short?”

“ _Yes!_ ” Leon insisted, “what good’s being the Prince if they won’t make me armor, no matter how short I am?”

“Okay, okay!” Raihan laughed, then a wistful look crossed his face. “Do you think they’d make me armor? Because I’m your friend?”

Leon’s expression quickly shifted to a grin. “Of course! I’m sure I could get them to make you armor!” He pouted, looking back at the sleek armor standing beside them. “You’re way stronger than me, anyway… you’d actually be able to do something in it.”

“I dunno,” Raihan said. “I have a knife, and I’m okay with a sling. But I’ve never even held a sword before.”

“Sure, but you’re better at the knife and the sling than me. Champion Kabu is teaching me to use a sword, but…” He sighed. “I’m not doing too well.”

“Well,” Raihan said slowly. “You’re still learning, right? So you’ll get better. Like how I’m no good at all the stuff Rose is teaching me right now.”

“I… I guess that’s true,” Leon said, “you really think I could get good with a sword?”

“I know so. Maybe we could learn to use a sword together!”

Leon perked up, grinning wide at him. “You think we could convince Champion Kabu to train both of us?”

“Maybe,” Raihan said, looking up at another suit of armor bearing a shield. “He’s the King’s Champion, right? It’s his duty to keep the royal family safe. We’re friends, so if I’m gonna be around you a lot, Kabu will be around, too. And maybe I can join in your sword lessons!”

“Yeah!” Leon enthused, “I have sword lessons with him later, I can ask him then!”

“Really?” Raihan asked brightly. “When?”

“Um,” Leon looked out the small window filtering light into the room, “...later. I’m not really sure.” He shrugged. “We still had a long time in Rose’s lesson.”

“Then we still have time to look around, right?” Raihan grinned.

“Yes! Hold on, there’s one more set of armor that’s even more incredible…” He led the way further into the room, stopping in front of a very grand set of armor. It was broad and shiny, with designs etched into the breastplate, and it held a large shield with the royal crest on it and a broadsword with jewels encrusted into the hilt.

Raihan gaped up at it. “Wow… it’s amazing! Why is it so fancy?”

“My dad says this is the armor that my great-great-great-great-great-granddad wore when he won the battle for Galar! When our family started ruling over it. He says it’s the most special armor in the whole castle!”

“Really? He must have been a great warrior…” 

Leon nodded, looking up at the armor. “I think about what it’d be like to meet him… someone who commanded armies and fought to make Galar a peaceful place.”

The fingers of the ornate gauntlet twitched.

For a moment, Raihan was sure he’d imagined it, then the entire suit of plate armor shuddered with a terrible metallic rattle. One steel arm slowly raised up, holding the jeweled sword aloft. 

“W-what?!” Raihan scrambled back, his hand reaching instinctively for his little knife, only to meet empty air, the knife back in his room. “What’s happening?!”

Leon scurried back with him, clinging to Raihan and staring at the armor with wide eyes. “I-I don’t know!!”

The armor made one more motion, a half salute with the sword before the arm fell back into place and a ghostly giggle filtered about the room. Allister flew out of the suit of armor, doubled over himself as he laughed.

“ _Allister!_ ” Leon said, stomping one foot on the ground, “that’s not funny!”

Raihan let out a sigh, then dropped onto his rear, right on the floor. 

“Okay, you got me!” He said, and a small laugh rose from his throat. “You got me good!” 

“You should have seen your faces!” Allister said through more laughter.

“Ugh,” Leon groaned, “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was you! I never knew you could do that— possess a whole suit of armor!”

“I can do a lot with objects,” he said proudly, but his posture and expression still showed how sheepish he was. “But usually just a couple things at once.”

“Well, it was a good prank!” Raihan said, getting back to his feet. “Nice one, Allister!”

Allister beamed at Raihan. “Th-thanks!”

“Well,” Leon said somewhat indignantly, heading for the door to the vault, “what else should we do? I think we still have a while before sword lessons.”

“Maybe we could sneak into the kitchens and get a snack?” Raihan asked hopefully.

“That’s a great idea!” Leon enthused, heading back out into the hall. “Can you get us to the kitchens, Allister?”

“Of course,” Allister said, floating more quickly to get ahead of them as Leon took Raihan’s hand again.

Raihan held his hand tight, pelting him with questions about his many-greats grandfather the warrior and what he was like and who he was defending Galar from, and was surprised when some of the answers sounded familiar, as he’d heard about it from Rose’s lessons. Perhaps history wasn’t so bad, after all, if it had so many interesting stories.

Sneaking into the kitchens didn’t require any actual sneaking, it turned out, as the Head Cook was happy to give the young prince and his friend a treat before returning to the organized chaos of the kitchens. They left with hands full of berry tarts, following Allister toward Leon’s room to eat their spoils in peace.

However, as they rounded the corner, they were met with the stern face of Champion Kabu. He folded his arms, looking down at the two boys with a small frown.

“Ah, here you are.”

Leon jumped, berry tart all over his face, and he spoke through the rest of one of them.

“K-Kabu! W-we were just— I was just—!”

Raihan froze at the sight of Sir Kabu, dressed in leather armor with that strange curved sword at his side, and was sure he was going to get in trouble and he’d be blamed for this. Even if it _was_ technically his fault.

“—running away from your studies with Steward Rose, yes I heard.”

Leon gulped, swallowing the rest of the berry tart.

“I w-was coming to sword lessons! Er, I mean…” 

“Well,” Kabu said calmly, “if you intended to, you still missed them. We should have started a short while ago. So I came looking for you.” He glanced back toward the kitchens. “I figured that it was about the time for berry tarts.”

Leon blushed, hiding the other two he was holding behind his back.

Raihan’s heart sank. It was his fault Leon had missed sword lessons, which was more interesting than anything Rose could have taught them. 

“M’sorry,” Raihan mumbled, staring at his boots. “It’s my fault.”

Kabu looked over at Raihan, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Your fault?”

“No it isn’t!” Leon stepped in front of him, looking up at Kabu. “We wanted to go play because Rose’s lessons are dull! He wasn’t even there teaching us, he told us to read while he left!”

“Hm,” Kabu said, folding his arms, “well, it appears that you _both_ left lessons in favor of playing.”

Raihan winced.

“We just needed a break… And it’s not like I’m really getting lessons anyway,” He scuffed the toe of his boot on the floor. “He just sticks a book in front of me and teaches Leon.”

Kabu frowned much more deeply.

“Is that so? I will have to speak to Steward Rose regarding this matter. But for now, Leon, we must go to our lessons.”

“Yessir,” Leon said, nodding slowly. “C-can um. Could Raihan come with us?”

“Hm, well…” Kabu looked over at Raihan. “Do you promise to not disrupt the lessons?”

Raihan perked up. “Really? I can come? I-I mean… Yes, I promise!”

Kabu gave him a curt nod.

“Come then, you two. Quickly.”

He started walking briskly, leading them out to the courtyard. Leon stuck near Raihan and handed over his two tarts.

“H-here. I… I can’t finish them right before sword lessons…”

“I’ll hold onto them for you. For after.” Raihan promised.

Leon shook his head. “I-it’s okay, they won’t be as good by then.”

“Oh, okay…” Raihan’s smile faded a little. “But I still get to watch your lessons. And then we’re done for the night!” 

Leon nodded, smiling again, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “…if you want, I’ll send Allister to find you and show you the way to my room after they send us to bed. Then we can stay up later!”

Raihan grinned and nodded. 

“It’s a plan,” he whispered back.

Leon grinned back at Raihan, but pulled away as Kabu led them into the courtyard. They started toward the area that Leon had first been in when Raihan had made it into the castle. Kabu turned back to face them, giving Raihan a nod.

“Please watch from this distance. Come, Leon.”

“Yessir,” Leon replied, then smiled a little at Raihan. “Um, talk to you later?”

“Talk to you later.”

Raihan hung back a fair distance away, watching carefully, hands full of berry tarts.

Kabu started running Leon through several drills, his voice firm but not angry. Leon did his best, though was clearly not in the sort of shape even Raihan was in. As the lesson wore on, the sun began to sink lower and the guard shift changed, more activity spreading through the courtyard.

Raihan watched Leon fumble with his wooden practice sword, and though Kabu was stern, he was patient and fair. He ran Leon through his exercises, and Raihan’s fingers itched, wondering how he’d fair handling a sword, and if he’d be any better.

“Hey there, Raihan,” came a familiar voice, and Camilla plopped down beside Raihan, following his gaze over toward Kabu and Leon. “Good to see you.”

“Oh! Camilla! Er… Sir Camilla? Or… um…” 

Camilla let out a hearty laugh. “Just Camilla’s fine.” She grinned down at the tarts in his hands. “Been to the kitchens, I see.”

“Yeah. These are really good! Do you want one?” He held a tart out to her.

“Hell yeah!” She took the tart from him and had eaten it in a matter of seconds. “Mm, that’s the stuff… we don’t get things that good down in the barracks.”

“You don’t?” Raihan asked, eating the last one. “Even though you live in the castle?”

She shrugged, looking back toward the sword lesson in progress.

“We do sometimes, more than most. But usually it’s a lot more basic.”

“Oh…” He followed her gaze to Sir Kabu and Leon. “I suppose the important people get the better food…” 

He looked down at the remains of rich, sugary berry juice on his hands, and thought of the food he was used to eating: overcooked cabbage soup, leftover week-old bread, hard dry cheese, and whatever raw plants he could scavenge out of the wilds. He thought of the way the guards looked at him when he first tried to sneak into the castle, filthy from being out on the streets. He thought about Steward Rose, and how reluctant he was to include Raihan in Leon’s classes. He looked at the clothing he wore, simple cottons and wool, but still finer than anything he’d ever worn in his life.

“…I don’t think I belong here,” he said quietly.

Camilla looked back at him, her voice more gentle. “Why do you think that?”

“Everyone here is important and fancy and… and rich. And I’m… a pot scrubber.” He ducked his head in shame, hating how it sounded out loud. “Leon’s my friend, but I feel like someone’s gonna find out what I am and kick me out. Like I’m tricking people into thinking I’m allowed here.”

Camilla’s voice dropped into a whisper.

“Can I tell you a secret, Raihan?”

Raihan looked up at her with wide, vulnerable eyes and nodded.

“I feel the same way. Like someone’s gonna figure out that I’m just a nobody who accidentally got into the Royal Guard.”

Raihan’s mouth dropped open in shock. 

“Really?”

Camilla nodded, giving him a small smile.

“Really. I grew up near Clearfield, too… and Hammerlocke definitely takes some getting used to. And even then…” She shook her head. “Still nothin’ quite like those open fields.”

“But… how did you become a Royal Guard? I thought you had to be fancy and important to live in the castle! Er… even if you’re in the barracks.”

“There’s tryouts to get into the Royal Guard, and if you’ve served in the militia and have a good record, you’ll qualify for tryouts. That’s how I got in!” She beamed at him. “At the tryouts, they don’t care who you are or where you come from, they just care that you’re good at what you do.”

“Anyone?” Raihan looked back to Leon and Kabu.

“For the most part. You have to meet the physical requirements and you can’t have been convicted of a major crime,” She smiled at Raihan. “That sound like something you might want to aim for?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it before. Just thought I’d be scrubbin’ pots my whole life.”

“And maybe some people might be okay with that…” Camilla mused, “but are you?”

Raihan watched as Leon finally successfully parried an attack from Kabu. A smile spread across Leon’s face and Raihan’s heart swelled.

“No. I’m not.”

A proud smile found Camilla’s face.

“That’s what I thought.” She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid, and I think if you worked at it, you’d make a good soldier someday. I’ve seen you with the monsters. They could use a guy like you out there.”

“With the— b-but… I don’t want to hurt them…” 

She shook her head quickly.

“No, no, I know! If more people realized that they don’t _have_ to hurt them… it would probably mean a lot fewer people hurt. I’ve never seen anyone able to calm them down like you can, Raihan.”

“Oh! Huh. I guess that makes sense,” he chewed on his lip for a moment. “…Sir Raihan…”

Camilla chuckled. “Don’t count the chickens before the eggs! But…” She ruffled his hair a bit. “But don’t you dare stop dreaming, you hear me?”

“Yeah,” he grinned up at her. “Thanks, Camilla.”

“You’re welcome, Raihan.” She grunted as she stood back up. “I’ll see you around!”

Raihan waved and looked back at Leon and Kabu, and a smile spread across his face as his mind turned with the possibilities. 

Sir Raihan, a Royal Guard of Galar. No, even better, a _Knight_ of Galar.

He quite liked the sound of that.


	4. Budding Blossoms - Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be advised that the tags have been updated.

“Pretty hot today, isn’t it?”

Their horses were stabled back at Aria’s inn, and they chose instead to walk through the fields and hills they’d grown to know so well over the past nine years. Raihan led the way, following the path along the edge of the Fairy Forest, as Leon’s sense of direction had failed to improve with age. Raihan walked with a forced spring in his step, working hard to keep his smile up and make this last afternoon count. It was his seventeenth birthday today. Exactly one year ago he joined the Galar militia and started his basic training at the Hammerlocke Garrison. Now that his training was complete, tomorrow he shipped out to start his real work as a soldier. 

Leon had been uncharacteristically quiet, walking alongside Raihan on the path. His gaze followed the tall weeds that lined the divets their boots had worn into the ground. They didn’t hold hands quite as often these days as they had back when they were children, and today was no exception.

“Anything you want to do today?” Raihan asked, his voice carefully calm.

“I dunno,” Leon replied quietly, gaze still fixed on anything but Raihan.

A moment of silence passed between them, interrupted only by the crunch of their boots in the dry summer grass.

“We could head for the pond,” Raihan tried again. “Maybe take a dip and cool off?”

Leon shrugged, then nodded.

“Yeah, okay. Sure.”

Raihan slowed, then stopped and turned to face him. 

“Lee…I know you’re…” He trailed off and bit his lip. “I’m just trying to make today count.”

Leon ducked his head, his expression twisting into one of pain, and he nodded.

“I know, I know… sorry, I’m trying… trying to be happy for you, a-and trying to have a good time today… it’s just not working so far…”

“Yeah. I know. And I’m… It’s not easy for me, either. But I’ll be back,” Raihan said. “Once I’ve proven myself, I’ll come back and join the Royal Guard, and then I’ll be in the palace every day!”

Leon nodded, taking a shaky breath, drifting a bit closer to Raihan.

“A-and then we can be together _every_ day, not just when we’re able to ride out and see each other…or when you get a day free from the garrison… s-so it’s a _good_ thing… and you’ll be _incredible_ at it, and become a Knight, and…”

“And I’ll be with you,” Raihan gave him a smile. “It’s the only way I can be with you, unless I want to scrub royal pots all my life.” 

Leon nodded again, swallowing audibly. They’d said these same words before, and they hadn’t gotten any easier.

“Th-that’s right. So you’ll come back really soon, and then you can be with me.” He bit his lip. “You need to meet Hop, too, when you can _really_ meet him… he’s just a baby now…”

“Yeah,” Raihan grinned. “And I even have a head start from working with all the guards at the castle! I learned a _lot_ from Camilla. I’ll probably be back before Hop can even walk!”

Leon brightened up a little bit, a smile tugging at his lips.

“True, Camilla really took to you… and she says that you’re better than some of the recruits she works with!”

“See? I just gotta breeze through my duties and prove I’m meant for something greater. Dunno why they need to haul us all the way out to Stow-on-Side.”

“I think father told me once that it’s a sort of trial by itself to be there… it’s pretty harsh terrain.” Leon bit his lip. “But people still live there, so it can’t be _that_ bad…”

Raihan made a dismissive noise and waved a hand.

“Please. It can’t be any worse than living next to the Fairy Forest,” he said, and turned back to keep leading them along the trail.

Leon sighed and moved to follow along behind him.

“If you say so…”

“I do say so,” Raihan grinned over his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay, Lee. Just you wait and see.”

“Mmhm,” Leon toned noncommittally, but he shook his head while wearing a small smile. “So what was this about cooling off in the pond?... it really _is_ hot today.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. It’s been a long while since we went for a dip. Last time was… what? Two summers ago?”

“Three,” came Leon’s quick, confident reply, “when we rode out to the Lake of Outrage.”

“Oh yeah!” Raihan said, and a real spring came back into his step. “Man, there were some _awesome_ sea dragons there!”

A smile was slowly returning to Leon’s face, and he walked a bit faster to be alongside Raihan.

“Yeah there were! I couldn’t believe that one with the incredible mustache!”

Raihan laughed. “I mean, I’m pretty sure they were whiskers, but it was definitely impressive!”

“What, dragons can’t have beards?”

“I didn’t say that,” Raihan said. “But I’m pretty sure those ones were whiskers.” 

They crested the hill that led to the old fishing pond, looking much smaller than it had when they were kids, but still large enough for a good swim. The undergrowth gave way to sand and marsh grasses as they approached and Raihan pulled off his tunic, throwing it over a branch of the old elm tree to keep the sand off it. In turn, Leon also began to strip down, though it was much more of an ordeal with his fine clothes. He started draping layers across a different nearby tree, gradually working his way down through them.

“The water is so clear today,” Raihan said, kicking his boots off. “Perfect for a swim!”

“It’s true!” Leon agreed, starting to slide out of his trousers. “I’m so glad that no one seems to come here… I’d hate to see this place trampled by visitors…”

“Not everyone’s comfortable with how many monsters come this way,” Raihan said and shimmied out of his own trousers. “So I think we’re safe to say we have the place to ourselves.”

He tossed his trousers and underclothing up on the tree and sprinted for the pond.

“Too slow!” He shouted and leapt like a cannonball into the clear water.

“H-hey, wait up!” Leon hopped on one foot as Raihan surfaced, trying to remove his other boot. He soon succeeded, tossing it with the rest of his clothes, and stripped off his underthings last of all before he got a running start and jumped into the pond after Raihan.

“Oh wow… This feels amazing,” Raihan said, the clear water washing away the sweat and grime from their walk.

Leon gasped as he surfaced near Raihan, tossing his wet hair out of the way. “Ohh, this feels amazing,” he echoed, smiling wide.

“I just said that, you dummy!” Raihan said, sending a splash of water his way.

“Ah!” Leon retreated back from the water spraying in his face, “I was underwater, I didn’t hear it!”

“A likely excuse,” Raihan teased. 

His eyes lingered on the way Leon’s long purple hair clung to his shoulders. They’d both sprouted like weeds over the past year, though Raihan seemed to always keep at least a few inches over Leon. Leon had put on a little muscle, too, though by the nature of the hard work Raihan did on a daily basis, Raihan had an edge over him on that, too.

“It’s true!” Leon insisted, splashing water back at Raihan. “Though you’re such a loudmouth, I probably _should_ have been able to hear it down there.”

“Hey! I’m not _that_ loud!” 

“You shout for all the wood to hear!” Leon laughed, splashing him again.

Raihan splashed him back with a laugh, wading deeper into the pond. His toes kicked up sand and mud that churned clouds through the clear water.

“I remember it being so much deeper.”

“Me too,” Leon admitted, his chin just above the water as he held his head upward, “though I _still_ can only barely touch the bottom.”

“That’s because you’re so short,” Raihan gave a dramatic sigh and shook his head. “It’s a damn shame. If you haven’t grown by now, you never will. You’re short for life, Lee.”

“H-hey!” Leon’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he sent a hefty splash Raihan’s way, “that’s not true!”

“I’m afraid it is,” Raihan said, trying and failing to hide his grin behind a somber expression. “The shortest prince Galar has ever seen. Prince Shorty. His Royal Shortness.”

“At least I’m not nearly as big of a royal pain as you are!” Leon insisted, sending another spray of water toward Raihan.

“At least I’m a _tall_ pain,” Raihan said, wiping water out of his eyes. “And you know what that means?”

Leon huffed, but he grumbled and took the bait.

“What does that mean?”

“I can do _this!_ ” Raihan lunged forward and grabbed Leon by the shoulders, then dunked him under the water. Leon sputtered and flailed about under the water, trying in vain to surface for a moment, struggling against Raihan’s greater height and strength beneath the water.

Raihan didn’t keep him under long, quickly letting him up and laughing as he sputtered. Leon soon broke through the surface of the pond, gasping for air and glaring at him.

“You jackass!” he said once he’d regained his breath.

Raihan’s eyes caught for a moment on the flowing curtain of purple floating on the water around Leon’s head, but he quickly pulled his eyes away.

“Look at you! Too short to fight back! What are all those lessons with Kabu even for?” He lunged forward again and tried to dunk him a second time, but Leon was ready for him this time. Leon caught Raihan’s arms and grappled with him in the water, grunting as he struggled against Raihan’s strength.

“To teach me… how to fight back!” He managed to get a better grip on Raihan, sliding in much closer to him than before, and starting to make some headway in their grapple.

Raihan laughed and held his own, using his superior strength to his advantage, but Leon wasn’t to be underestimated and Raihan lost his grip on one slick wrist. The moment his wrist was free, Leon pressed his advantage, pushing hard and gaining the upper hand. It wasn’t long before he had restrained Raihan, letting out a triumphant cry.

“Hah! Height isn’t everything, it seems!”

“What? No, you cheated!”

Leon had pinned Raihan’s wrists behind his back, and Raihan started to struggle. He almost immediately stopped, however, as he realized they were pressed chest to chest with Leon’s arms around him to keep his wrists pinned.

“Uh…” A flush found Raihan’s dark cheeks.

Leon huffed, his own cheeks flushed with anger.

“I did _not!_ Don’t be a sore loser!” His grip was steady, and held Raihan’s hands behind him. They were so close, Raihan could feel Leon’s heart beating rapidly, and their chests moved together with their calming breathing.

Raihan’s heart started to pound in return, although for a different reason. Leon’s grip was firm, the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexing to hold Raihan still, and a leg brushed against Raihan’s beneath the water as Leon adjusted his stance. 

Gods, what was he thinking? Leon was his best friend, ever since they were kids, why was he making this weird? This wasn’t the first time Raihan’s thoughts had strayed into new territory around Leon, especially in the last couple of years, but it was certainly the first time he’d had those thoughts while naked and pressed up against his best friend.

“I’m… I’m not being a sore loser!” he stammered.

“Yes you are,” Leon insisted, and finally started to let Raihan go. “You accused me of cheating. How exactly could I cheat?” One of his hands brushed along Raihan’s side as he let him go. A shiver ran down Raihan’s spine, and he didn’t pull away. He let out a low breath, then remembered he could lower his freed arms.

“I dunno. Just said it.” He looked into Leon’s golden eyes and couldn’t look away. 

“Like I said, you’re a loudmouth… you don’t think before you speak.” A small smile found both Leon’s lips and his warm honey-colored eyes. “You idiot.”

Raihan let himself get lost in those eyes before he blinked and found his gaze caught on the smile on lips, on the strong curve of his shoulder, and on the purple hair floating lazily in the water. 

“Your hair’s getting long,” Raihan said, abruptly changing the subject. 

Leon blinked, and glanced down at his hair, which was curling about on the surface of the water, shifting along with the minor currents of the small pond.

“Ah, yes, it is. It’s starting to get a bit unruly, honestly…”

“No, I… I like it.”

Raihan trailed his fingers through the flowing strands.

“It looks good long,” he said softly. “You should keep growing it out.”

A flush found Leon’s cheeks again, watching Raihan’s fingers slip through his wet hair.

“...you think so?”

“Yeah.” Raihan still hadn’t pulled away, but neither had Leon. “...Hey. So. ...Um…” 

Leon’s golden gaze looked up to meet Raihan’s again, his voice still soft and tentative.

“...what?”

“This is gonna be our last time together for… for a long time.” 

The words sat heavy in the air, finally said so plainly out loud, without hopes and promises that they’d only spend a few months apart. Based on what the guards had told him about their experiences, Raihan doubted he’d be able to return to Hammerlocke any sooner than two years.

A breath caught in Leon’s throat, and he looked away again, his brow furrowing deeply.

“...yes. Yes it is.”

“Do you… I mean, because we might not… and it’s gonna be a while, so…” Raihan swallowed, the sound abnormally loud to his ears. “Can… can I…”

Gods, what was he doing? What was he thinking? Stop, dammit, stop! 

Leon finally looked back at him, an ocean’s worth of emotions in his expressive eyes. His voice was once again soft, though there was vulnerability within it this time.

“...what is it?”

“Can I kiss you?” 

Leon’s eyes widened, a quiet gasp escaping past his lips. He searched Raihan’s eyes for a moment, his cheeks starting to get red.

“....k-kiss me?... You want to…?” 

Panic swelled within Raihan, horrified that he’d actually said what he was thinking out loud.

“W-we don’t have to! It was stupid, I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have—”

He started to pull away. 

Leon burst forward, snagging one of Raihan’s wrists and standing on his tip-toes to catch his lips in a kiss. It was over almost as soon as it started, and Raihan was left staring dumbly at Leon.

The Prince’s face showed that he was nearly as surprised as Raihan, and his cheeks blushed more deeply. He ducked his head, chewing anxiously on his lower lip.

Raihan stared at him a moment longer, then lifted a hand out of the water to cup Leon’s cheek. He looked into his golden eyes, trying to find something to say, then leaned in to gently meet his lips once again. This kiss was far less rushed, and Leon returned Raihan’s kiss eagerly.

Now that he’d gotten the courage to start, Raihan never wanted to stop. For all his teasing, he’d never kissed anyone before, and he wished with all his heart that this moment could last forever, and he’d never have to leave Leon. All too soon, their lips parted again, and Raihan let out a long breath. He felt lightheaded and breathless, but he let out a giddy laugh.

“W-wow.”

Leon grinned brightly up at him, cheeks still blushing.

“Y-yeah… I um… I didn’t think it’d feel that good…”

“Yeah?” Raihan asked. “Maybe… we should do it again?”

Leon bit his lip around his grin. 

“Maybe… convince me.”

“Convince you? Convince how?” Raihan grinned wide and stroked his fingers through Leon’s hair, not caring that it was wet and limp. “Flatter you about how amazing you are? How your smile is like sunshine and you’re the kindest person I know? Or… maybe…”

He trailed his fingertips along Leon’s bare arm, and he felt a shiver run through him.

“...maybe what?” Leon teased, leaning in closer to him and into his touch.

Raihan looked into his eyes, his chest full with excitement, but also tight with anxiety, not sure what Leon would think. “Maybe… we could try some other stuff?”

A soft giggle escaped Leon, his cheeks getting more red again.

“You scoundrel… asking such things of the Prince!”

Raihan blushed and looked away, shrugging one shoulder.

“I dunno. I just feel safe with you. More safe than with anyone I’ve ever known. And if I was gonna… d-do stuff, I’d want it to be with you. Because… I like you. And I trust you.”

Leon drifted closer to Raihan, one of his hands finding one of Raihan’s under the water, squeezing it.

“I… I like you too. I’ve always felt safe when I’m with you.” Leon grinned sheepishly up at him. “I don’t really know what I’m doing… but I know that you’re the only person I’d want t-to… to be close with.”

Raihan nodded, feeling a wash of relief at Leon’s answer. “I’m… I mean, I’ve never… er… I’m still figuring stuff out, too. But if we wanted to figure it out together…”

He gave Leon’s hand a squeeze. Leon held his hand tighter, giving him a warm smile.

“Honestly… I want to do anything and everything, so long as it’s with you.”

“Me too.”

Raihan grinned and leaned in to kiss him again. Their lips met with more enthusiasm this time, and Raihan pulled Leon close. Gentle hands, tentative with inexperience, slid along wet, slick skin. Raihan’s head spun as his skin felt like it was on fire with sensation, cold water and hot touches mingling together in an overwhelming coalescence. Only when Raihan’s knees wavered and threatened to give out did he let out a hot breath against Leon’s ear.

“M… maybe we should move this onto the shore…” 

Leon shivered, holding tighter to Raihan, and nodded. His voice was breathless, and nearly as hot as the summer air around them.

“...y-yeah… I think that’s a good idea…”

Raihan led him to the shore, slipping in the sand and giving a snort of laughter. Leon giggled, his steps a bit more careful as they emerged from the pond. Raihan pulled him close, kissing him once more, then slowly guided him down onto the sand. They explored each other with mingled enthusiasm and bashfulness, becoming breathless with joy when something worked, and breaking into laughter when something didn’t. Tentative lips and fingertips led to entangled limbs, nervous giggles giving way to moans of delight. They enjoyed each other’s company as if they had all the time in the world, and there was never a better way to spend a summer afternoon.

* * *

The summer sky was starting to shift from fiery yellows and oranges into deeper reds and purples as Leon opened his eyes. He must have drifted off, he concluded, and quickly realized that he was still semi-entangled with Raihan. A small, warm smile found his lips, and he reached up to stroke Raihan’s sleeping face.

Raihan stirred at Leon’s touch and let out a soft sigh. His eyes fluttered and slowly opened, staring at the sky for a moment before meeting Leon’s gaze.

“Hey,” he said with a warm smile.

“Hey,” Leon returned, and continued to stroke Raihan’s cheek. “Looks like we dozed off.”

Raihan sat up and looked around. 

“Huh. Guess we did.”

“Sun’s starting to get low… we should probably, er…” Leon felt his cheeks get a little hot again. “...put our clothes back on.”

Raihan let out an easy laugh, though his cheeks were a little flushed as well. 

“Yeah, that’s an idea. And we should probably… head back…”

His smile faded, and Leon felt a sharp pang in his chest.

“Y-yeah…”

Leon slowly started untangling himself from Raihan, brushing a lot of sand off of himself before he started putting his clothes back on. Raihan got to his feet and silently dressed, keeping his back to Leon. The silence only made the ache in his heart worse, and as the last of their clothing was done up, Leon rushed over to Raihan. He pressed his face into Raihan’ back and clung to the back of his tunic. His voice came out smaller and more vulnerable than he’d planned.

“R-Raihan… I care more about you than anything else in the world.”

“I feel the same,” Raihan said quietly.

Leon squeezed his eyes shut, even as tears started surfacing within them, focusing on the feeling of Raihan’s tunic against his face and between his fingers. He couldn’t stop picturing Raihan’s things packed in his little room, or the carriage that would be picking him up tomorrow and taking him far to the northwest, away from the capital.

Away from him.

“I don’t want you to go…” he admitted brokenly.

Raihan’s shoulders trembled and his voice sounded thick.

“I know. I’m going to miss you so much.”

Leon held on tighter to Raihan’s tunic, trembling a little as he felt the crushing weight of having to say goodbye start to settle in.

“W-what’m I gonna do without you?”

Raihan took a deep breath, then finally turned around and wrapped his arms around Leon, pulling him close against his chest.

“You know what you’re gonna do? You’re going to be strong. And you’re gonna be _great._ You’ll learn to be the best king Galar has ever seen.”

Leon shook his head, but held tightly to Raihan all the same.

“Don’t want to without you…”

“I know,” Raihan said and held Leon tighter, “but I won’t be gone forever. It’s just for a little while. And… and you’ll still have your parents and Sonia and Hop. They’ll take care of you. And you know Aria will always welcome you.”

“Y-yeah, I know,” Leon said, sniffling, “b-but what about you? What if I…” He took a breath, forcing the words out. “What if I came with you?”

He truly meant them; he’d run away from the castle in a heartbeat if it meant staying with Raihan. He’d have to hide his hair, pretend to be someone else, but it would be worth it.

Raihan gave him a sad smile. “What, run away and join the militia? Become a soldier instead of a prince?”

Leon nodded, ignoring the hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

“T-to be with you…”

“Aw, Lee…” A tear fell down Raihan’s cheek. “I wish you could.” 

A sob rose in Leon’s chest at the sight of Raihan’s single tear, and he forced out his next words with more conviction.

“I could! I could do it!... I’ve been working to get stronger every day!…”

“I know you have,” Raihan said, and long fingers stroked through Leon’s damp hair. “I’m going to miss you every day.”

“M-me too… gods I’m going to miss you so much, Rai…” 

He held onto Raihan as tightly as he could manage, feeling more tears drip off of his chin. Leon’s chest felt like something was slowly being ripped out of it, burning as it went.

Raihan finally let out a sob above him and buried his face into Leon’s hair. They clung to each other and wept as the sun sank lower in the sky and the shadows grew long. 

It wasn’t until a warm summer breeze blew past them did Leon come back to the here and now. He let out a shuddering breath, all his tears finally spent, his mind feeling foggy after he’d exhausted himself trying to find a way that they could stay together. A shiver ran through him as the breeze picked up again, reminding him of his wet hair and how they couldn’t linger in this wonderful spot forever.

“It’s getting late,” Raihan said, echoing his thoughts. “And we don’t want to be this close to the Fairy Forest after dark.”

“I guess you’re right,” Leon said softly, and finally started to pull away from Raihan. He rubbed his face, trying to wipe away the evidence of his tears. His free hand sought one of Raihan’s, a motion that hadn’t come that easily in years.

Raihan caught his hand and entwined their fingers.

“Come on. Let’s head back.”

Leon nodded, holding onto Raihan’s hand and letting him lead the way. His eyes followed the dirt path again as they headed back toward Aria’s inn. As he focused hard on the feeling of Raihan’s hand in his, a memory surfaced, of reading a book Sonia had lent him even though he was sure it would be dull. His breath caught in his throat, and he squeezed Raihan’s hand.

“Hey Raihan… I…”

“Yeah?” he asked, glancing down at Leon.

Leon bit his lip. He knew how stupid this was going to sound. But he was going to say it anyway.

“...a while back, I read in an old book about… about blood pacts. That if people make a blood pact with one another, they’re always tied together, no matter what.”

“A blood pact?” Raihan asked. “Tied together? What does that mean?”

“Well,” Leon started, staring down at their hands clasped together, “it’s mostly symbolic. Two people cut their hands, then clasp them together, signifying that their blood is the same.”

He bit his lip, heart pounding as he let weight of what he’d just suggested settle.

“So, it’s like a promise,” Raihan said. “That we’ll always be together.”

Leon nodded again, more firmly this time, looking up at Raihan.

“Yeah. A promise.”

Raihan grinned. 

“Let’s do it!”

His heart lifted at the sight of Raihan’s grin, and he couldn’t help but return his smile.

“Yes! And then we’ll always have our promise… and each other.” Leon finally looked up from the path, considering the darkening landscape around them. “A promise this important… we’ll need to do it in the perfect place.”

Perhaps he was stalling, trying to chase away the sense of melancholy settling around them. But he clung to the significance of the promise they were about to make, after the most important afternoon they'd ever had together.

“Yeah,” Raihan said, looking around. “There’s that meadow nearby… The one with the bluebells?”

“Yeah!” Leon said. “Aw, but it’s summer. It’ll be covered in dandelions.”

“Dandelions are still pretty,” Raihan said with a smile. “I like ‘em.”

“Okay,” Leon said and returned his smile, “let’s do it there.”

“Alright,” Raihan held his hand tight and led him off the path toward the meadow. The same meadow, incidentally, where he’d first found Leon, all those years ago. 

The meadow was indeed full of dandelions, a glorious mixture of yellow and white flowers covering the ground. Surrounding the meadow were Golden Chain trees in full bloom, cascades of yellow blossoms spilling from their branches.

“Wow,” Raihan said as they stepped into the meadow, “this really is pretty.”

“It is, it’s perfect!” Leon said, his heart leaping a little, and he tugged Raihan into the meadow, past the yellow flowers reaching out toward them in the trees and out among the yellow buds on the ground. He finally stopped near the middle of the field and turned to face Raihan, his heart pounding in his ears.

“So… we cut our hands, just enough to bleed,” he held up their clasped hands, “then we clasp them together like this while we make our promise.” He bit his lip. “Sounds kind of silly when you say it so simply, but…”

“But then our blood is together,” Raihan gave his hand a squeeze. “Like we’ll be.”

He stopped as they reached the center of the meadow and finally let go of Leon’s hand.

“Are you going to be okay?” Raihan asked, pulling out his belt knife. “With the blood, I mean. I haven’t seen you faint in a while, but you did almost puke when I scraped my knee at Midwinter.”

Leon felt his cheeks get hot, and he huffed slightly.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve gotten a lot better! Plus, this is _important._ ”

Despite his words, he felt his pulse quicken and his eyes caught on Raihan’s knife. Raihan drew a line across his hand, wincing as he sliced through skin and blood blossomed in his palm. Wordlessly, he handed the knife to Leon.

Leon took a deep breath, taking the knife with a shaking hand. He frowned, steeling himself and thinking of what their blood pact would mean. Tied together forever. Of the same blood. Always.

He let out his held breath and cut along his palm. Blood burst into his vision as his cut slowly began bleeding. Darkness immediately began to cloud the edges of his vision, but he squeezed his eyes shut, gasping around the pain. 

“It’s okay!” Raihan’s voice cut through the fog closing around Leon’s mind. “You’re okay! I’m right here!”

Leon opened his eyes, Raihan’s face filling his vision instead of the blood slowly pooling in his hand. He took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’m okay… thanks, Raihan.”

Raihan gave him a reassuring smile.

“Are you ready? Do we… should we say something?”

“Yeah…” he took a deep breath as he ignored the pain from his hand, “gotta make the promise… that we’ll always be bound to each other…”

Raihan swallowed and took a deep breath. 

“Then… I swear to always be with you in my heart, even if I’m not with you in body,” He met Leon’s eyes and held out his hand. “I’ll always come back to you.”

Words flowed easily from Leon’s mouth, as if he’d wanted to say them for a long time.

“I swear that you will always be first in my heart, above all else. I vow to always be with you in mind and spirit, and in body when possible.”

A powerful feeling swelled in his chest, and his tone changed, reflecting the overwhelming emotions within him.

“You will always be mine.”

Raihan's mouth moved soundlessly for a moment, then his next words finally came, his voice soft and earnest.

“I will always be yours, and you will be mine. Now and forever.”

His green eyes gleamed in the fading light, only a sliver of sunlight left above the horizon. Leon found he couldn’t look away from Raihan’s eyes and his hand found Raihan’s with no effort, clasping it tightly.

“Now and forever.”

As the words faded away in the air around them, wind whipped around them in a tight spiral, then opened up and out, blasting through the blossoms and tearing through the ancient trees. His right hand, clasped with Raihan’s left, felt like it was burning, the wound alight with white hot sensation. He only held tighter to Raihan’s hand, determined not to let go, no matter how painful it got.

Light suddenly began to softly radiate from something all around them — mushrooms. A ring of mushrooms surrounded them and emanated a bright light. A gasp from Leon’s lips was lost amid the rushing wind as the lights burned brighter and brighter about them. Then in a brilliant burst, the light blasted upward into the sky, its glow reaching up high before spreading out among the stars that were just becoming visible in the twilight.

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. The light faded into starlight, and the wind fell silent.

Leon felt his legs give out, and he stumbled back away from Raihan, landing on his rear as his breath came in short gasps.

Raihan stood on shaky legs and staggered over to Leon.

“Lee? Leon? Are you okay?”

He had enough mind to nod, reaching out for Raihan.

“Y-yeah, yeah, I’m okay… what _happened?!_ ”

“I don’t know,” Raihan said, pulling him to his feet. “I didn’t think anything would actually happen. I just thought that…”

He trailed off as his eyes traveled downward and found the innocent ring of tiny white mushrooms, almost invisible in the fading twilight and the dandelions.

“Oh _hell._ We’re in a Fairy Ring.”

A jolt of panic shot through Leon, dunking his warm feelings in ice water.

“What?! Oh no, no no, I’ve heard stories about the terrible things that happen to people who step into Fairy Rings!” Panic started to overtake him, holding tightly to Raihan. “What’re we going to do?!”

“Well,” Raihan said, carefully stepping out of the ring and pulling Leon with him. “First we’re going to _really_ hope we made that pact with each other and not with the Fairies.”

Leon nodded vigorously, holding fast to Raihan’s arm. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what they were going to do, thinking back on all his lessons. Perhaps he _should_ have paid more attention when Rose was going on about the troubled history of Galar’s relations with the Fairies.

“Great. Just _great._ ” Raihan kicked at the dirt. “The most important promise of our lives and we go and…”

He trailed off as he looked at his hand. 

“It’s healed!” 

With a start, Leon looked down at his own hand. Just like Raihan’s, his wound had healed over completely, not even a trace of blood left behind.

“Woah! Is that… Fairy magic, do you think?...”

“I can’t take credit for this one, younglings.”

A voice sounded just behind them, inches from their ears.

Leon yelped, scrambling to hold onto Raihan, whirling about to see where the voice had come from.

An old woman stood behind them, dressed in a gown of flower petals and butterfly wings. 

“As twilight binds night to day, so too do you bind your souls together,” She said, peering at them over her long nose. “Impeccable timing.”

“Who are you?” Raihan demanded, though Leon picked out the uncertain quaver in his voice.

“I have many names,” the crone said. “But you may call me Opal.”

Leon finally found his voice, and held onto Raihan’s arm more tightly.

“...Ms. Opal…” His eyes glanced beyond her toward the forest, which was looking a bit too light for the current hour. “...are you from the Fairy Forest?”

“That is my domain, yes. But fear not—” She held a withered hand up at their devastated looks. “The oath you swore was to each other, not to me or mine. You merely did it in a place of great magic, at a significant time.”

He took a single, firm step in front of Raihan, his voice more sure than before.

“What does that mean? Are we safe?”

Opal cackled with a sound like splintering wood. 

“As safe as you were before,” she said. “Words have Power, and oaths are not to be made lightly. All you did was add some extra weight to your words. A _lot_ of extra weight.”

Leon frowned, not liking how little she’d actually told them about what happened. He stood up straighter, his voice coming with conviction.

“Then we’ll just have to get stronger in order to carry it!”

“I’m, uh…” Raihan said. “I’m not sure that’s what she meant…”

Opal cackled again and stepped toward them, surprisingly fast, given her apparent age. 

“The depth of your bond, even I cannot tell,” She told them, dark eyes flicking between them. “That is for you to discover. However, I am willing to share one fascinating facet of your bond that I see before me. An unintended and interesting side effect, if you will.”

“What’s your price?” Raihan said immediately, narrowing his eyes.

“Wise, youngling,” Opal said, regarding Raihan. “Only a fool takes from a Fairy without knowing the cost. But fear not, my price is a simple request. Neither you, young Knight, nor you, young King, shall take iron nor steel into my forest.”

Raihan glanced at Leon. Their eyes met, and Leon considered for a long moment. He weighed the potential possibilities in his mind, trying to anticipate the consequences of such an agreement. Finally, he gave Raihan a slight nod, and got one in return, so he turned to regard Opal, his voice firm.

“It’s a deal.”

Opal nodded once, then gestured to Raihan.

“Soldier-to-be, cut your hand once again.”

Raihan gave the withered old Fairy a skeptical look, then lifted his knife and cut another line across his palm. Leon frowned, wondering what could possibly be the point of Raihan cutting himself again, but suddenly a pain sliced across his own hand.

He let out a cry of surprise and pain, looking down at an identical wound to the one Raihan had just created.

“Wh-wha…?!”

“Leon! Are you—? What? It’s gone!”

The wound had vanished from Raihan’s hand and appeared on Leon’s, lingering for a few seconds before also vanishing, leaving both their bond hands untouched.

Opal held her arms open.

“Do with this knowledge as you will.” 

“Is it _all over?!_ Every wound?” Leon gasped, his mind spinning.

“Hah!” Opal scoffed. “And make the both of you invincible? No, the universe is not so kind. Only the hand you swore the oath with, and only if you made the wound yourself. There may yet be further secrets the future may unveil, but those I cannot say.”

“I… I understand,” Leon said, regaining his bearings again.

He dipped into a formal bow to Opal, one hand behind his back, and gave her a respectful nod as he straightened up.

“Thank you, Ms. Opal.”

Raihan quickly followed his lead and mirrored his bow.

Opal smirked.

“Smart boys,” she said and wandered into the Fairy Ring. “Keep it up. Safe journeys to you both.”

Between one blink and the next, she vanished, as if she’d never been there at all.

A moment later, Leon let out a sigh, tugging Raihan further away from the Fairy Ring.

“...well, um…”

“So, apart from all that weirdness…” Raihan turned and gave him a grin. “We’re blood bonded. And it’s more than just words.” 

A small smile found Leon’s lips, and a warmth rose in his chest.

“Yeah… yeah, we are.”

He sprang forward to give Raihan a tight hug. Raihan wrapped his arms around him, then leaned in to give him a warm kiss. Leon’s heart leaped up into his throat, and he returned the kiss intently. A few heartbeats passed between them, and Leon let out a sigh as their lips parted. The warm feeling in his chest only grew, and he smiled up at Raihan.

“I… I think I feel a bit better… knowing that we’ve forged such a strong connection…”

“Me too,” Raihan touched his forehead to Leon’s. “Even if we’re far away, we’ll never be apart.”

Leon’s smile got wider, beaming up at Raihan.

“Yes… just promise me that you’ll come back as _soon_ as you can?”

“I will. As soon as they let me!” Raihan grinned.

He pouted up at Raihan, his brow furrowing along with it.

“If they take too long about it, they’re going to get a very sternly worded letter with the royal seal on it!”

Raihan laughed and took Leon by the hand, leading him out of the forest.

“That’ll show them!”

Leon held his hand firmly as they made their way back to Aria’s inn, mulling over all that had happened that day. The walk was over far too soon, and panic once again rose in his chest as the sight of his horse came into view. As they slowed in front of the inn, he flung himself forward again, stealing one more kiss from Raihan’s lips. Raihan held him close, kissing him long and deeply, and they were both breathless when they parted.

“I’ll miss you every day I’m gone,” Raihan murmured, stroking his cheek.

“There will not be a moment when I won’t be thinking of you,” Leon said softly. To his dismay, he once again felt tears pricking at his eyes. “I… I know I have demanded promises of you, but… there’s only one I truly need.”

“Anything,” Raihan said, and took both Leon’s hands in his.

Leon’s words came out soft and afraid. “...promise me that you’ll be safe.” He felt the all-too familiar sensation of tears streaming down his cheeks. “It’s such a s-selfish promise, but…”

Leon held Raihan’s hands very tightly, fighting even harder to keep the waver out of his voice. “...but _promise me_ you’ll be safe.”

Raihan squeezed his hands and gently kissed each of his tear-stained cheeks.

“I promise. I swear I’ll come back to you.”

Leon let out a broken sigh, his voice coming out in a whisper.

“Thank you.”

Tears escaped Raihan’s own eyes as he gave Leon one last kiss, then pulled away, fingers lingering on Leon’s fingertips before finally letting him go. Leon focused intently on the feeling of Raihan’s lips on his, of those fleeting touches to his fingers, every tiny touch catalogued in his mind to remember later. He put on a genuine, pleasant smile to Rahan, not wanting to send Raihan off with a sad face.

Raihan smiled back at him, even as tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Good-bye, Leon. I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll see you soon, Raihan.”

He choked on the next words, unable to get them out. Instead, he took a step toward his horse, and gave Raihan one more warm smile. Then he mounted his horse, clicking his tongue to spur the horse on.

Leon got one last glimpse of Raihan as he rode away, feeling like a lance ran through him as he felt reality come crashing down upon him. He wept the whole ride home and most of the night, praying to any god that would listen to keep Raihan safe.

_Please… Keep him safe, and bring him home._

_To me._

End of Part One: Budding Blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've reached the end of part one! Thank you so much for reading about these sweet innocent children who think they know hardship and suffering!
> 
> Buckle up, dear reader. Now the _real_ ride begins.


	5. The Long Cold - Chapter 1

Part Two: The Long Cold

Ten years. It took him ten long years, but Raihan was finally back in Hammerlocke. He’d been to the garrison outside the city walls four years ago, but it had been a full decade since he’d been this close to the castle. Now here he was at last, waiting in the wings of the Upper City’s arena. He'd made it.

Almost made it, Raihan quickly corrected himself. No use getting cocky. Just because he’d finally been invited to the tournament didn’t mean he’d necessarily succeed in winning a place among the Royal Guard. He needed to be one of the top fifteen competitors, and there were well over fifty candidates here. Even if he _had_ bested all the men and women beside him at some point or another.

Well. Maybe there was a _little_ room to be cocky. 

He and the other hopeful candidates stood in perfect formation like the soldiers they were. They stood just outside the arena while the common folk filled the benches and standing space, and from where Raihan stood, he could see the royal box, still empty.

An officer, a lieutenant by the looks of his uniform, paced slowly in front of them, awaiting the start of the tournament. The soldiers stood just off to one side of the large field, with a good view of the royal box, which overlooked the arena from atop a small platform. A temporary fence had been built to separate the soldiers from the crowd and provide a rest area, though it was currently full of tension as every hopeful soldier stood waiting for their chance to prove themselves.

Sebastian stood at Raihan’s right, just as still and formal as the rest, and stared straight ahead. However, as the lieutenant turned his back, he met Raihan’s eye and gave him a slightly nervous smile.

Oh good. Apparently the cold shoulder from the last two weeks had ended and Sebastian was back to being friendly with him. Raihan gave him a reassuring smile in return.

That was a relief. They’d known each other for six years now, and it’d be a shame to throw all that away. Sebastian had even been the one to pull Raihan out of that den of bug monsters, when the scythe-handed mantis had nearly taken Raihan’s head off. Raihan had earned a thick scar from that fight, cutting from his right cheekbone down along his cheek to his neck. 

As movement began in the royal box, the lieutenant turned toward all of them, giving them one last look-over.

“Don’t get distracted, concentrate on your goal, and do your best.”

Easier said than done, Riahan thought, and his eyes darted up to the movement in the royal box. Gods. Would he be here? Would he come to supervise personally?

First to file into the royal box was Lady Sonia, dressed in a long, light blue dress, and her long red hair had been done up into beautiful curls. She’d certainly grown into an elegant young woman, a far cry from the stuffy girl he used to tease when they were kids. Right behind her was Steward Rose, looking much the same as Raihan remembered. A bit pudgier, a bit more grey in his dark hair, and he still carried that gaudy elephant-head cane.

Just behind the Steward was Prince Hop, dressed in a refined outfit that was already slightly askew. His bright, sunny face was highly reminiscent of Leon when he was younger, and he paused before he got to his seat to lean out over the railing and stare at the hopeful soldiers. Raihan couldn’t look away. Hop looked so much like his older brother that it made his heart ache.

Close. He was so close.

“Your Highness,” came Rose’s voice, just barely drifting down to them, “please take your seat.”

“This is so exciting!!” Hop said, still half-leaning over the railing, “I can’t wait to see them all in action!”

“Of course, Highness,” Rose replied patiently, “but there’s no use in getting so worked up now, when nothing is happening.”

“I guess you’re right,” Hop sighed, and plopped down into his cushy chair, sitting on it cross-legged rather than properly.

Next came Kabu, dignified as ever, holding himself tall as he stepped up into the royal box. He looked to have aged beyond the ten years since Raihan had seen him, all of his well-kept hair a silvery grey, and his expression more tired than before. However, his eyes were as sharp as ever, and he remained standing in the box, looking to his left in anticipation for who was following behind him.

_Please… Please be him._

Lastly came King Leon, met with loud cheers from the crowd as he moved toward his seat. Raihan’s breath caught in his throat. Leon had filled out over the years, and was now broad-shouldered and every bit as regal as a king should be. He wore a fine red suit with white and gold trim, a magnificent cape that trailed along behind him, and a golden crown atop his head. His hair was very long now, well past his waist, and though it was still the same vibrant purple color, most of his other features were very different. Some well-kept facial hair lined his chin, his once warm golden eyes were piercing and steely, and his expression was cold, though not pompous, looking out over the crowd with a level expression.

Raihan couldn’t look away from that sharp expression, so different from the wide-eyed innocent boy in his memories. What had he endured while Raihan had been away? Raihan obviously knew of the passing of his parents. Both the king and queen had died tragically while on a diplomatic visit to Kalos eight years ago. Raihan hadn’t been there for him. 

He’d done his best to communicate with Leon through their blood bonded hands, but carving words into your palm was easier said than done, and Leon had been much less responsive after the death of his parents. Raihan, too, had become more busy as he was given command of battalions and ordered to clear bandits out of the wild lands. Eventually, their attempts at communication stopped altogether. Raihan wasn’t even sure if it would work anymore.

Despite the lieutenant’s earlier words, there was definitely some murmuring among the soldiers as the royalty arrived. Most were smart enough to speak low, so Raihan was only able to hear the two soldiers to his left whispering to one another.

“I’d heard that the royalty were touched by the gods, but I didn’t believe it…” one soldier murmured, his wide eyes fixed on Sonia.

“Right?” his friend said, “hell, I’d never seen the King before now, who knew he was so pretty?”

Raihan silently agreed, though he felt “pretty” was far too humble a word. Majestic, or handsome, or breathtaking seemed more accurate.

The first soldier turned his eyes toward the King, and he raised his eyebrows.

“Shit, that’s so much hair… and it’s so shiny! How long does he spend to upkeep it?... my mum’s hair was half that length and she could barely keep up with it…”

His fellow soldier snorted.

“He probably spends most of his day in a golden bath.”

Raihan let out an annoyed breath, glancing over at Sebastian. He wore a similar expression, meeting Raihan’s eyes with clear annoyance on his face.

“Probably,” returned the first, “that sure sounds nice…”

“Hell yeah it does,” the second said, his tone shifting, “I’d love to take a bath with that stallion… think he’s that thick _all_ over?”

Raihan’s eyes flashed and he snapped his head toward the soldier.

“You watch your mouth.”

The soldier turned to look incredulously at Raihan, squinting slightly up at him.

“The hell’d you say to me?”

“I said you better watch how you talk about our King,” Raihan growled.

The first soldier glanced over as the lieutenant started coming back toward them. The other, however, didn’t seem to notice and sneered up at Raihan.

“What’s it matter? It’s not like any of us will ever get close enough to find out if he’s packin’ heat… or if the rug matches the curtains.” One of his lips curled slightly, still keeping eye contact with Raihan. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to yank on that pretty hair while you ride off int—”

Raihan clenched his hand into a fist and swung hard and fast at the soldier. He felt a crack as the man’s nose broke under his fist.

The man went down with a cry, blood starting to pour from his broken nose.

“W-what the hell?!”

Raihan’s eyes burned with fury, but he didn’t continue his attack, in complete control, despite his rage.

“How _dare_ you! If you dare to speak of our King so disrespectfully, you have no right to be here, and certainly no right to stand as one of his elite soldiers!”

The soldier scrambled to his feet, blood still streaming from his nose.

“B-but— you can’t just—!”

“I agree with Raihan,” came the lieutenant’s stern voice, suddenly in front of the two of them, “that was an utterly shameful display, soldier!”

The bleeding man backed up a step, looking like he almost wanted to argue, and the lieutenant pressed forward a step, his voice raising.

“King Leon has forged peace in Galar under his rule, and is the reason that we’ve been able to keep such good relations with neighboring kingdoms! He has ushered in the current season of prosperity we live in, and I will not tolerate anyone to speak ill of him, especially not when they are attempting to be part of the Royal Guard!”

“B-but sir, it was just—!”

“Get gone, son!” the lieutenant bellowed, and the soldier scampered off, still holding his bleeding nose. The lieutenant straightened his pristine outfit, gave Raihan a nod, then turned away.

“In formation, troops! It’s almost time to begin!”

Raihan saluted and stepped back into line. He let out a long breath and glanced at Sebastian. He gave him a small nod and silently wished him luck.

But not too much luck.

Sebastian nodded as well, earnestly returning the sentiment before he looked up at the sound of a trumpet. Raihan took a breath and marched out with his fellow soldiers. It took all his willpower not to let his eyes slide to King Leon once again, staring straight ahead and hardening his face with determination. It was time. Everything had led to this. Now all he needed to do was be better than anyone else here.

A man in brightly colored clothes stood on a podium beside the royal box and stamped a flag on the wood twice. His voice boomed across the whole field, and a hush came over the crowd.

“Welcome to the annual Royal Guard tryouts!” he cried, causing a great ruckus from the crowd. “Fifteen guards are retiring this season, so there are fifteen slots open for our hopeful candidates! They will undergo rigorous tests of strength, speed, and agility to see who can qualify to be part of the most elite!”

He waited until the cheers died down again to continue.

“And not only that, this year is very special. This year we are also holding the first Championship Tournament in over twenty years!” The sounds from the crowd were even more uproarious now, putting on full display the reason that the turnout was so immense this year. “Champion Kabu is finally stepping down as the King’s Champion, he has served the Crown very faithfully for many years—” he had to pause as the crowd once again cheered, glancing over toward the royal box.

Kabu’s normally stern expression broke just slightly into a smile, and he waved off the crowd, a bit of laughter breaking out among them.

“Champion Kabu will be taking on the role of Captain of the Guard once the Champion title has been passed onto another. We are all grateful for the service that Champion Kabu has given, and honor him as the Champion who held the title the longest in all of Galar’s history!”

Hop sprang off his seat, cheering along with the crowd before he was quieted by Rose. He pouted as he once again plopped back down on his seat.

“So it is my great pleasure to declare this Royal Guard tryout and Championship Tournament… open!” Trumpets again sounded as the crier spread his arms, and the tryouts officially commenced.

The tournament started with a series of competitions, where candidates competed against a minimum standard, not necessarily each other. There was an extensive obstacle course that needed to be completed before the sands of an hourglass ran out, a certain amount of weight that competitors had to prove they could lift, along with a variety of speed, strength, and weapons drills. Anyone who failed to pass the minimum standard required by the Royal Guard was eliminated. After that, the real trials began. Archery competitions, axe and knife throws, races, and other feats of strength and agility took up most of the morning, with the competitors in last place getting eliminated from each event. When there were only twenty-five competitors left, the events became more focused: wrestling matches, hand-to-hand combat, and duels between combatants finalizing the results until the top fifteen men and women remained.

Raihan, for his part, performed admirably, and quickly proved his skill. Breathing hard from the final duel against his opponent, Raihan stood victorious in the line of fifteen, his place in the Royal Guard secured.

But the day was far from over.

The lieutenant came to congratulate the new recruits, walking down the line to affix a small medal on each of their uniforms, signifying that they were now a member of the Royal Guard.

“Such a fine performance! Now, let us clear the field so that we can begin the Championship!”

The new Royal Guards turned to leave, proud and trying to contain their excited looks, but Raihan made no move to leave. Sebastian, one of the proud fifteen, shot Raihan a curious look, but said nothing as he passed. The lieutenant also moved to vacate the field, but paused as Raihan stayed in place.

“New recruit? The tryouts are over, it’s time to clear out.”

Raihan’s heart pounded in his ears. This was the part of his plan that was most likely to fail. No recruit had the audacity to do what he was about to do.

“Sir. Any member of the Royal Guard is allowed to partake in the Championship Tournament. As I am now a member of the Royal Guard, I have a right to participate. I wish to compete for the honor of becoming the King’s Champion.”

The lieutenant sputtered, staring at Raihan with open bewilderment. 

“B-but… but recruit, you’ve _just_ been inducted! You have yet to prove yourself among the Royal Guard, let alone…”

“Yes, Sir,” Raihan said, his tone respectful, but firm. “But the rules clearly state that any member of the Royal Guard in good standing may participate.”

He kept his eyes straight ahead, standing at attention. He hadn’t dared to look at Leon during the entire competition. Would Leon even recognize him after so long? The scar on his face was jarring, but not disfiguring, but a decade in the military had changed him in more ways than that.

The lieutenant seemed as though he didn’t know quite what to do with Raihan, still sputtering a bit, though he jumped as a new voice entered the conversation.

“Lieutenant, if I may.”

Kabu strode toward them, and despite his aging face, he still moved like a much younger man. He stopped beside the lieutenant, in front of the much taller Raihan, and spoke in his usual calm, curt manner.

“He is correct. If he is part of the Royal Guard - which he has just become - then he is allowed to compete for the title of Champion. I see no problem in allowing him a chance to compete in the Championship.”

“B-but sir, technicalities aside, he just ran the recruitment gauntlet, which is exhausting! Even if he were to compete, he couldn’t hope to win against fully rested guards and Knights!”

“That is true,” Kabu said, and turned to look at Raihan. “Though he himself requested he be allowed into the Championship. Are you fine with competing in the Championship with these detriments?”

“Yes, Sir Kabu,” Raihan said, meeting Kabu’s eyes. “I only wish to compete.”

Kabu gave him a curt nod and turned to the lieutenant.

“See that he is added to the roster.” He looked back at Raihan, his dark eyes revealing none of his thoughts. “Take rest while you can, young one.”

Kabu walked briskly back to the royal box, leaving the lieutenant and other organizers in a tizzy, though no one seemed willing to argue with the soon-to-be-former Champion.

Raihan turned smartly and finally vacated the field so it could be prepared for the Championship Tournament. He braved a quick glance at the Royal Box.

Kabu was leaning in close to Leon, the two of them talking quietly to one another. Neither looked out over the field, engaged in their talks. However, Hop was beaming wide, watching Raihan with excited eyes. Those bright golden eyes, so familiar and yet so strange, cut Raihan to the core, and he turned quickly away, joining the other new Royal Guards past the edge of the arena.

Just as he was settling onto a bench, Sebastian came dashing over to him, his own eyes wide.

“Raihan!! Raihan _holy shit!!_ W-what— are you—?!”

“Congratulations to you too, Seb,” Raihan said with a short laugh.

“Th-thanks!” Sebastian stammered, “but, holy shit! Going after the Champion title? I know this is the first tournament they’ve had in ages, but…”

“I have to try,” Raihan looked back out toward the field.

“...i-is this why—” Sebastian swallowed, and retreated a step, holding onto one of his arms. “...is this why you… why things stopped?”

A long silence passed between them as Raihan stared out toward the field. 

“Yes,” Raihan finally said. “At least, it’s one reason. Seb, I’m sorry… I have to do this. I can’t risk being distracted. It’s important to me.” 

“Ah, I see. ...it’s—” Sebastian took a breath. “It’s all right… I think it just surprised me.”

“That’s understandable,” Raihan said. “Considering how often we…”

He trailed off, acutely aware of the company around them, though the other guards were all excitedly chatting and planning their celebrations.

“...shared a bunk.” 

Sebastian nodded, not looking at Raihan. He swallowed audibly again before turning back toward him, stepping in close to Raihan.

“I just want to say one more thing… and then I’ll let you focus on the tournament.”

“What is it?” Raihan looked up at him.

Sebastian put a hand on Raihan’s shoulder, smiling down at him.

“You’re _still_ the craziest man I’ve ever met.”

Raihan smiled and let out a soft laugh. “I suppose I have a reputation to keep. ...Thanks, Sebastian. And no matter what happens, I’ll see you around the castle.”

“Definitely. You better not disappear.” He squeezed Raihan’s shoulder. “...best of luck, Raihan.”

Raihan stood as the Championship Challengers arrived. He gave Sebastian’s hand a squeeze, then strode out onto the field with them, the only challenger not dressed in the livery of the Royal Guard or the garb of a Knight. The other competitors didn’t give him more than a curious glance, utterly professional. After that, the challenge was upon them, and it became quickly apparent that despite his impressive performance in the tryouts earlier, Raihan was holding _back._ Now he gave everything he had, _needing_ to win.

The challenges were significantly harder than the events earlier, testing everything Raihan had and everything he’d trained for. Like the tryouts, the final test was actual combat against his remaining competitors, though his opponents were significantly more skilled. The final fight was genuinely challenging, and Raihan took a nasty hit to the arm from his opponent’s shield, but he who finally stood victorious over his opponent, Raihan’s sword at her throat.

She stared up at him in disbelief, her chest still heaving from the effort of the fight. Neither moved an inch, even as the final trumpet sounded.

“That is it, the tournament is ended!! It seems the new recruit has clawed his way all the way to the top! Unbelievable!!” The crier was pounding his flag against this podium intently as the crowd pounded their fists and stomped their feet, all spectators loving the spectacle of the underdog winning.

Prince Hop was quite unruly in the royal box, hanging over the railing, whooping and hollering as loud as the crowd. Steward Rose looked stunned as Kabu passed him, heading back down onto the field. The seasoned veteran strode over to Raihan, giving a respectful nod to his opponent before giving his full attention to Raihan.

“It seems you have beaten all odds and emerged victorious, young one,” he said, the hint of a twinkle in his eye.

“Thank you, Sir,” Raihan said, still breathing hard and covered in sweat.

“I congratulate you. You have earned the chance to become the King’s Champion. Come, stand before your King.” He turned curtly, walking over to stand in front of the royal box, directly before Leon’s chair. Hop was still causing quite the ruckus, but quieted as the two approached.

Raihan’s heart raced as he followed Kabu. It was finally happening. He’d done it. Years of work, planning, and dedication had finally come together for this moment. Kabu stepped aside and suddenly Leon was _right there,_ gods, he was right in front of him. Raihan only caught a glimpse of him before dropping to one knee in a respectful bow.

Kabu spoke, and the crowd hushed, all listening intently.

“King Leon… I present to you, your new Champion.”

In the quiet that followed, Raihan heard a rustle of fabric as Leon stood, and two heavy steps as he approached the edge of the royal box.

“Tell me your name, Champion.”

Raihan’s heart skipped a beat. Leon’s voice was deep and rich, far deeper than he remembered. 

“Raihan.”

There was another moment of silence, long and heavy, but over in an instant.

“...rise, Champion Raihan. You are victorious this day. I hope you prove yourself to be a worthy successor to Sir Kabu. He will be instructing you from this day onward as you take on your new duties.” 

Raihan rose to his feet and finally met Leon’s eyes. He was struck breathless by that golden gaze, complex and intense, yet ambiguous. Gods, was it true? Had Leon forgotten him?

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he managed to say, his voice soft.

“Due to the circumstances of your victory, there will be a trial period before you adopt all the duties that Sir Kabu has previously upheld. If you prove yourself worthy in all aspects, you will take on his mantle.”

“I will not disappoint you, Sire,” he said.

He looked into those eyes once more, willing Leon to give him some sign that he recognized him. Leon held his gaze a moment longer. The King’s eyes were intricate and sharp, but above all else: cold.

“Mm.” He finally broke eye contact with Raihan, looking to Kabu next to him. “I trust that you will see to him?”

“Yes, my King,” Kabu replied, giving Leon a bow.

“Good.”

Leon glanced one last time at Raihan before he turned and left the royal box, two guards hot on his heels.

Raihan remained rooted in place and his chest tightened. What happened to Leon? What had he suffered to become like this? Gods, if only he’d gotten here sooner. If only… He felt like he couldn’t breathe, the pain in his chest was so tight.

A cheerful voice pierced through Raihan’s thoughts.

“Raihan!! Champion Raihan!” It was Hop, leaning far over the railing again, grinning wide at Raihan. “You were _incredible_ today!! I was cheering for you, and you won!!”

Raihan looked over at the boy, and despite the pain in his chest, he couldn’t help a small smile at the pure joy on Prince Hop’s face. 

“Thank you, Your Highness. I am sure your cheers gave me strength.”

At those words, even more joy erupted onto his face.

“R-really?! That’s grea—!!”

“Come now, Hop,” Rose’s stern voice interrupted him, “let’s leave the Champion alone so that he and Sir Kabu can get started.”

“Awww, okay…” Hop gave Raihan one last wave as Rose escorted him away. “See you later!”

Sonia was standing, staring at Raihan with open shock on her face, and only snapped out of it as the other two started leaving. Raihan’s eyes followed her, somewhat relieved that someone, at least, seemed to recognize him. She gave him a brief, complicated look before she hustled after the others, leaving only Kabu behind with Raihan.

“Come along,” he said, turning to walk in a similar direction to the royals, “let me show you where you’ll be staying, and give you a brief overview of your duties.”

“Yes, Sir,” Raihan said, following after him. “And… thank you. For speaking up on my behalf.”

“You're welcome. It was quite clear to me that you were one of the best candidates… I very much wanted to see how you fared against the more seasoned soldiers.” A small smile found his lips. “And you did not disappoint.”

Raihan managed a small smile. “Thank you, Sir.”

Kabu led the way up to the castle, though once they were past the gate, he veered to one side, entering through a side entrance near where the guards trained.

“Here are the Royal Guard barracks, this is where the guard mingles, for the most part, when they are on shift.” They walked through the hallways of the castle, more doors appearing on either side of them the further in they got. “Here’s where the guard sleeps, though this is not where your room is. I just want you to be intimately aware of how the guard functions.”

“Yes, Sir,” Raihan said dutifully. He paid close attention to everything Kabu said, but his shoulders soon began to sag and he had to fight to keep his concentration.

Kabu glanced sideways at him once, then turned a sharp corner and led him further into the castle. It wasn’t long before he stopped, opening the door to a modestly furnished room.

“This is where you’ll be staying for now, though once your trial period is over, you’ll be moved closer to the King’s quarters.”

Raihan nodded once, but did not move to enter the room, awaiting the rest of the tour. Kabu smiled at Raihan and gestured to the room.

“Raihan… you have been through more trials today than most men can handle. I’d say you’ve earned some rest before I start training you.”

Raihan straightened up, and the fact that he hadn’t picked up that Kabu was trying to get him to rest was testament enough to how drained he was. 

“Ah… Of course. Thank you, Sir Kabu.” He bowed.

“You’re welcome. Get some rest, then come find me when you are feeling back to yourself again. You’ve earned it.”

Relieved, Raihan retreated to his new temporary room. He was surprised to find his few bags already moved up here from the garrison, along with a few new sets of clothing he didn’t recognize. Well, he couldn’t say the castle staff were inefficient. He stripped out of his clothing, washed himself the best he could with the small wash basin in the corner, and crawled into bed. He was exhausted in mind, body, and heart, and as he let sleep claim him, the only thing he could see were Leon’s cold eyes.

* * *

Warm sunlight filtered into Kabu’s office, merrily announcing another spring morning as the beams illuminated the mounds of paperwork he was inheriting from the previous Captain. He had spent sunrise in meditation, then prepared himself some tea, and now finally realized that he could no longer stall the inevitable. The looming stacks of documents demanded his attention. Just as he concluded this, there came a knock at the door.

“Come in,” he said far too eagerly, setting aside his empty tea cup.

Raihan entered the room and gave a respectful bow.

“Sir Kabu.”

The Royal Seamstress had performed a miracle and produced a Royal Guard uniform overnight that fit Raihan’s towering form. He’d certainly sprouted, Kabu observed. Gone was the lanky teenager Kabu remembered, and in his place stood a warrior. Years of service to the military had given Raihan a lean, muscled build. His dark skin was littered with scars, the most prominent being the thick scar that slashed down the right side of his face. Raihan’s green eyes met Kabu’s with a steady, sharp intensity, and it pained Kabu to no longer see the spark of mischief that used to shine within them.

No matter how many times he witnessed the act, it was always difficult to watch the innocence of youth slip away. But such was the price of living, he supposed.

“Thank you for being so prompt, Champion Raihan,” Kabu said, settling down into his chair. He sat behind a cherrywood desk, and gestured to one of the cushy chairs in front of it. “Please, have a seat.”

Raihan sat in the cushioned chair, though he still kept a stiff posture.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Of course. Now, we’ll get started today in going over your new duties, but I wanted to check in with you first.” He gave Raihan a look over, thinking that he looked rather sullen for someone who’d just earned themselves one of the highest ranks in the Kingdom. “Do you have any questions for me up front?”

“Yes Sir,” Raihan said sharply. “What exactly does this ‘trial period’ consist of?”

Kabu leaned back in his chair slightly.

“It will mostly consist of me showing and teaching you your new duties, and you proving that you can do the job.” He gave Raihan a level look, thinking to the previous day and the reactions of all the opponents that Raihan had bested. “Most of the guards and knights you went up against yesterday have already proven themselves, in word and deed. You have a good record as a soldier, though you still need to prove your worth in many's eyes.”

“I understand, Sir.”

“I know that you are more than capable, you displayed that at the tournament. Though everyone else is going to need some convincing. This position will require you to be able to navigate political warzones, not just battlefields.”

He looked directly into Raihan’s sharp eyes.

“Are you prepared to take that on?”

Raihan’s level gaze never wavered.

“Yes, Sir. Though… I will need some coaching on how to navigate through those political trenches.”

“I will happily provide that to you. As Champion, you now technically outrank every soldier and officer here, though that will come with its own set of problems. Many will be furious that they were not chosen, regardless of the fairness of the competition, and as you are a complete unknown to anyone outside the army, the nobles that had hoped for the position are likely to not take particularly kindly to a common soldier achieving it…” 

He let out a helpless chuckle, shaking his head.

“...let alone one who had become part of the royal guard just hours before.”

Raihan’s stern face hardened.

“I understand, Sir. This will not be the first time others have been embittered by my success.”

Kabu nodded, and his heart crumbled at Raihan’s hardened expression.

“I see.”

He could not ignore the ache in his heart, and a small smile found his lips, staring right into Raihan’s eyes.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised… You seem incapable of calmly inserting yourself into this household, Raihan. You caused quite a stir last time... though it hardly compares to the storm you have just left in your wake.”

Raihan blinked, at that hard look softened under confusion.

“Sir?”

Kabu’s smile warmed slightly.

“Hard to forget a child who tries so many times to break into the castle with such determination... or the same young man coming back a decade later to completely upheave the minor royalty's hopes of their kin becoming the next Champion.”

Raihan’s perfect composure finally cracked and he blanched.

“S-Sir? You remember all that? You… recognize me?”

“I do,” Kabu confirmed, noting his reaction with interest, “there’s much I remember about you, Raihan.”

“Ah, well…” Raihan actually looked embarrassed, a flush finding his cheeks. “Then I am even more grateful you spoke up for me yesterday. I hope not everyone has as long a memory as yours.”

“Few seem to, it’s true,” Kabu chuckled, relaxing a bit as Raihan’s stern expression finally started giving way to emotions, “which will certainly work in your favor.”

A soft laugh escaped Raihan. “That’s something, at least.”

Hope slowly began to grow in Kabu’s chest. Perhaps, that small boy he’d known was still in there somewhere.

“Indeed… now, I told you that you outrank everyone, which is technically true. And you're going to have to start acting like it. If you're only ‘Yes sir’s and no authority, the other soldiers won't respect you to be able to lead. Or to be Leon's shield and sword. Don't go overboard in throwing your weight around, but definitely do it every now and then. And Raihan?”

His gaze got serious again, meeting Raihan’s eyes with a great intensity.

“You answer _only_ to Leon. Not the other royalty, not the Stweard, not even me. What Leon asks, you do, without question, and even if it goes against others' wishes.”

Like a gate snapping closed, Raihan’s face sobered up, returning to the hard, serious expression.

“That will not be a problem.”

A small gust of air escaped Kabu as he watched what little mirth had been in Raihan’s expression evaporate.

“ ...with this knowledge, you must understand that you are going to frequently need to think for yourself, and potentially do things that others won't like for the sake of Leon. He is your number one priority, and your life is forfeit if it protects him.”

Raihan’s gaze never wavered, meeting Kabu’s eyes with utmost solemnity.

“That will also not be a problem.”

Kabu frowned slightly.

“As such, throwing your life away is foolish. The most worthy sacrifices you could make would be for Leon or the Prince. Ideally, you won't have to sacrifice yourself, of course.”

“Of course,” Raihan said, but his expression remained unchanged.

“Do you have any questions or concerns?” Kabu asked.

“What will be my daily schedule, once I am through this trial period?” he asked immediately. “Who is with the King when I am not? Do I take my meals with him?”

Kabu leaned back in his chair again, resting his hands on the arms of his chair.

“In the mornings, I usually trained and ran drills before Leon was up and about. Then once he wakes, you are to be at his side or the Prince’s all day, including meals until the evenings. You see the King to his chambers where his usual guard waits, and then you have a couple free hours before bed.”

Raihan nodded.

“Very manageable. My greatest concern is the political maneuvering. I am not entirely inexperienced, but I have never navigated anything of this… magnitude.” 

“Of course,” Kabu said with a nod, “getting through the higher royal politics can be a true nightmare. I will happily assist you, and perhaps I can get you set up with Steward Rose for some more in-depth political training.”

A beat passed before Raihan responded.

“Of course, Sir Kabu. If you believe that is what is required.”

He looked at Raihan closely. “Would you prefer your lessons come from me?”

Raihan’s response came slowly, and Kabu got the impression that Raihan was choosing his words carefully.

“I am willing to do whatever is necessary to be successful in this position. If you believe I will learn best from Steward Rose, then I will listen to his advice. …However, if that is the case, then I hope the Steward’s memory is not as long as yours.” 

A small smile found Kabu’s lips.

“I’m afraid his memory may yet be longer than mine.”

“Then, if you do not object, it may be wiser that I take my lessons from you,” Raihan paused. “I don’t think he ever liked me much.”

Kabu chuckled softly.

“I do imagine that you two would get along much better these days… when you aren’t plotting to skip his classes.”

What might have been a smile pulled at one corner of Raihan’s lips. “Then perhaps I shall see if we may reconcile with each other.”

Kabu let his smile grow at the sight of the promise of one on Raihan’s face.

“Rest assured, I will be here as a backup plan, if need be. ...it’s good to have you back here, Raihan.”

“Thank you, Sir Kabu. It’s been a long road, but it’s good to be back.”

Kabu lingered in the moment perhaps a bit too long, unwilling to let it go, but soon stood up from his desk and stretched.

“We’d better get started, young Champion. There’s much to do, and you are clearly eager to take on the duties you fought so hard to obtain.”

Raihan followed his lead and rose to his feet. Kabu led the way out of his office and 

“Yes, Sir. I’m ready.”

“Excellent, come along, then. Let’s first check in with Steward Rose and see if he has time to educate you on castle politics.” 

Kabu led the way out of his office and out into the castle. His office was located up near the council and war rooms, which they passed by on their way toward Rose’s offices. Inside the council room stood two nobles dressed in heavy furs, Countess Melony and Count Gordie. They were in their usual place, standing before King Leon attempting to be polite while also talking over one another.

Raihan’s eyes slid toward the council room, but he made no comment as they passed.

It wasn’t long before they were in Rose’s office, full of old books and scrolls, though all of them were organized immaculately. Rose himself was in the middle of a lecture that he was giving to Hop, though Hop looked over eagerly at the first sign of a distraction.

“Kabu!! Mister Raihan!” he said excitedly, sitting up straight when he’d previously looked as though he might fall asleep at any moment.

“Good morning Rose, Hop,” Kabu said with a small smile, “I apologize for the interruption.”

Rose sighed, but smiled as he put down his pointer and closed the book he was holding.

“That’s quite all right, Kabu. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, actually, if I could have a moment of your time, and then Raihan and I will be out of your hair.”

“Of course,” he said smoothly, moving towards them, but he paused at Hop’s desk, giving him a smile. “Why don’t you update your notes while I have a talk with these two, okay? Surely you were paying attention and remember?...”

Hop ducked his head, biting his lip. “Y-yessir…”

Rose smiled more warmly, patting his head affectionately. “Good, thank you.”

Kabu retreated back a ways from Hop in an attempt to help Hop stay on task, giving Rose a nod as he joined them. 

“Thank you, Rose. I’m beginning Raihan’s training today so that he may take over the Champion role.”

“Yes, your performance yesterday was _quite_ remarkable, I must say!” Rose said, giving Raihan a warm smile. “Congratulations on winning the title! Quite an upset, to be sure.”

“Thank you, Steward Rose,” Raihan said respectfully. “Your recognition is appreciated.”

“Of course, Raihan!” Rose said cheerily, “it’s incredible to see how the years have changed you… I hardly recognized you before you spoke your name!”

Kabu glanced over toward Hop, noting with curiosity that while he was doing as Rose asked and writing notes, he appeared to be whispering to someone, though no one else was in the room. Kabu was brought back to the conversation as Raihan responded.

“It _has_ been a long time. I’m sure much has changed here, as well.”

Rose sobered up a little, nodding.

“Things have not always been easy, it’s true. But we all have managed.” He let a beat pass before he spoke again. “Now why are you coming to me regarding your training?” Rose’s gaze slid questioningly from Raihan to Kabu.

“Raihan has requested instruction on navigating the political environment that the castle holds,” Kabu responded. “You are the authority on many of the goings-on here, so I wanted to inquire if you had the time to instruct Raihan on these matters.”

Rose frowned a little, looking back at Raihan, then met Kabu’s gaze again.

“I’m afraid my schedule is quite packed, and most of my instruction is dedicated to Prince Hop. So I do apologize, but… I’m not going to be able to teach Raihan.” He gave Raihan an apologetic look. “I am sorry, though the Prince’s future is important… you understand.”

“Of course,” Raihan said smoothly. His expression never wavered and he gave a shallow, respectful bow. “Thank you for your consideration.”

“You are most welcome,” Rose said smoothly, and he smiled at Raihan. “It’s such a wonder to see you having grown up to be such a respectable young man. You are so far from the rowdy boy you were back then.”

“Thank you, Rose,” Kabu said, a bit too quickly, “we’ll let you get back to your lesson.” Another glance at Hop showed that he was watching them, an oddly contemplative look on his face.

“Of course, thank you,” Rose said, giving them both a nod before turning back to Hop. “Did you get those notes done?” Kabu knew that tone, asking a question that he already knew the answer to. This time, however, it seemed he didn’t.

“Ah,” Rose toned in surprise as Hop proudly held up his completed notes, “it seems you did. Good job, Hop.”

“Bye Kabu, bye Raihan!” Hop said, smiling at them a bit less enthusiastically this time.

“Until next time, Your Highness,” Raihan said with another bow.

Hop bit his lip, watching them go until Rose rapped on his desk with his pointer.

Kabu turned and led the way back out into the stone hallways, thinking that Rose could have tried a _little_ harder to work Raihan into his schedule.

“I hope you don’t mind going with the backup plan,” he said to Raihan, giving him a small smile.

“Not at all,” Raihan said. He paused for a moment, then continued dryly, “It seems some things haven’t changed.”

A small laugh escaped Kabu, and he gave Raihan a coy look.

“Too right, my boy. Now, let’s get started.”

Perhaps there was some hope left in Galar after all.


	6. The Long Cold - Chapter 2

“I, Raihan of Clearfield, do swear fealty to King Leon of Galar. Upon my honor, I do pledge my sword to the service of my King, to serve His Majesty with loyalty, honesty, charity, bravery, and devotion.”

The month of training had passed in both an eternity and a blink of an eye, during which time he trained exclusively with Kabu and saw very little of Leon. At long last, Raihan knelt before Leon, head bowed and dressed in sparkling full plate armor adorned with the Galar crest, the full Royal Court behind him as witness to his oath.

“I swear obedience to my King in all things, and that my actions may uphold the honor of my King and all of Galar. I vow to defend my King in both word and deed, until he so chooses to release me of my oath or until my dying breath.”

Leon’s voice echoed about the throne room, clear and confident.

“As King of Galar, I swear to uphold thy oath to me with honor, prudence, and responsibility. Thine sword is mine, and I will not wield it frivolously.”

“Then to thine hand I pledge my fealty, my loyalty, and my life to thee, King Leon of Galar.”

The sharp sound of metal rang out as Leon drew his sword. 

“Be thou a Knight, in the name of Galar.”

Two softer clinks followed as he lay the flat of the blade first on Raihan’s right shoulder, then moved it to his left, and finally, one more slow scrape as Leon sheathed his sword.

“Arise, Sir Raihan of Galar.”

A swell of too many emotions to parse out burned in Raihan’s chest and he rose to his feet, meeting Leon’s eyes.

Leon’s gaze was as unreadable as ever, the chill in them nearly muting out the sounds of the cheering crowd behind him. As Leon turned away, the minstrels started playing, and the crowd began to mill about, excited for the Knighting afterparty. Despite the ensuing celebration, Leon walked briskly to the right of the throne room, heading for a discreet side door.

Raihan ignored the celebration in his honor, following Leon as was his new duty. Leon led him through the side door and down a narrow back hallway before stopping at one of the many doors and slipping inside. It was a small, comfortable sitting room, and upon closer inspection, the door was thicker than normal, and with more locks on it.

“Close the door behind you,” Leon said as he pulled open the drapes to a tiny window, light flooding into the room.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Raihan closed the door, and after a moment of consideration, locked it.

Leon removed the weighty cloak about his shoulders, laying it across one of the cushy chairs in the room. He moved back toward Raihan, his voice curt and commanding.

“Stand before me. I wish to look at you.”

Raihan felt a chill at the order, and part of him crumbled at the ice in Leon’s voice. Perhaps it was true. Leon _had_ forgotten him, forgotten everything they had. He stood at attention, eyes straight ahead, and hid his breaking heart behind a stony mask.

Leon stood in front of him and looked him up and down with his sharp, piercing gaze. He walked in a small circle around Raihan, taking his time examining the taller man. As he stopped in front of Raihan again, he reached up and took Raihan’s chin in one of his hands. No longer soft and lean, even his hands were rougher as he tilted Raihan’s head to one side, examining the prominent scar on his face.

It didn’t matter, Raihan abruptly decided. Even if Leon thought him a stranger, he would do anything for his King. The silence lingered as Leon traced Raihan’s scar with his thumb. As he next spoke, his voice was quieter, but still distant and harsh.

“...ten years.” 

His hand lingered on Raihan’s cheek.

“Prove to me that you are mine. Show me that something of the Raihan who left me is still in there.”

Raihan closed his eyes against the tears of relief that threatened to spill at Leon’s words. A single tear trailed down his cheek.

“Forgive me. Please…” Raihan’s voice cracked, but he continued. “Forgive me for taking so long to return to your side.” 

“Your display since returning has shown how penitent you are. However… you are not the same person, nor am I. We both carry new burdens… have new scars.” Leon’s thumb once again trailed along Raihan’s facial scar.

Raihan repressed a shiver at the touch and let out a breath.

“You’re right. But even so,” he opened his eyes and met Leon’s gaze. “I will always belong to you.”

Leon held his gaze, his own still complex and difficult to interpret.

“ Good.” He fell silent for a moment, searching Raihan’s eyes. “I must admit… your efforts to be by my side have impressed me. When I saw you at the tournament, I could hardly dare to hope that it was you fighting so fiercely for such a chance.”

Raihan leaned into Leon’s touch. 

“Thank you, my Liege. Truth be told, I feared I had changed so much that I would be unrecognizable.”

Leon’s fingers stroked along Raihan’s scar one more time before he pulled his hand away.

“I would know your face in an instant, no matter how many years or scars had come and gone.”

Raihan let out a sigh. He could still feel the ghost of Leon’s touch on his skin and longed for it once more.

Leon’s keen eyes searched Raihan’s face one more time before he looked away, his stern expression intensifying.

“You still seem like a phantom. Something I’ve conjured from old memories.”

“I’m here,” Raihan said immediately. His finger twitched, wanting to reach out and take Leon’s hand, but something held him back. “I’m here, I’m real. And I will stand by your side once again.”

Leon took a barely audible breath, still turned away from Raihan. 

“Prove to me that you're really here... that you've truly pledged your life to me, and this is not some wild delusion.”

Raihan’s heart pulled with a multitude of complex emotions at that hard, unflinching tone. He ached with sorrow and pain that the world had been cruel enough to harden Leon this way and longed for the smile Raihan remembered, but he also felt something deeper in his chest, a burning desire to do anything Leon willed, and do it well. Slowly, he pulled the armored gauntlet off his left hand, the same hand he swore a blood oath with all those years ago.

“I fought and struggled for ten years to return to your side,” he said, and drew his dagger. “The only thing that will take me from you now is death itself.”

Raihan pricked his finger with the dagger, blood beading on his fingertip. A moment passed and the wound vanished, appearing on Leon’s fingertip.

A harsh gasp escaped Leon, and he stared down at the blood now blossoming on his finger.

“...Raihan.”

The King’s hand trembled as the blood and wound disappeared completely.

Raihan sank to one knee and bowed before him.

“I know we… lost touch, even with this great gift we were given. I vow that it will not happen again.”

“Good,” came Leon’s simple reply, his voice a bit strained.

“I made you a promise back then, and I will continue to uphold it,” He raised his head to meet his eyes. “I swear it. Upon my very soul.”

Leon gently rested his right hand on Raihan’s head, finally looking back down at him.

“Very good. I expect you to continue to keep that promise, especially as you take on your new duties… Sir Raihan.”

He let out a quick breath and pulled his hand back, abruptly turning away.

“You are missing your own Knighting party.”

“My service is to you,” Raihan replied.

“True, though I would hardly like to confine you here with me. Especially if you wish to make merry with the others.” Leon moved toward the door, pulling on a rope that summoned servants to the room.

Raihan knew a dismissal when he heard one, and rose to his feet. “In that case, I will return to your side with the dawn, Your Majesty.”

“I look forward to it, Sir Raihan.”

Leon gave Raihan one more look, intricate and intense. The moment was interrupted as three servants entered the room.

“A-ah, your Majesty, so sorry to interrupt!” one maid said, obviously flustered as she bowed deeply.

“It’s all right, Sir Raihan was just returning to his Knighting party.”

One maid flushed, stepping aside for Raihan to be able to leave the room.

“Congratulations, Sir Raihan!”

“Thank you,” Raihan said, and with one last glance at Leon, left the room. 

In all truth, Raihan didn’t want to return to the festivities. The prospect of handling the onslaught of nobility, both those honestly congratulating him or belittling him with backhanded compliments, seemed exhausting. But to fail to attend his own knighting celebration would be seen as either uncaring or arrogant, and neither was an impression he wanted to make for the people he’d be working with for the foreseeable future. So he sank back against a wall and took a moment to regain his composure, then entered the great chamber once again. 

The throne room was alight with activity, sound, and color, nobles all milling about and celebrating together to the light music. A long table had been put out with food on it, and there were servants filling and refilling drinks all across the hall. One small head of purple hair darted through the crowd, running right for him and skidding to a stop right in front of Raihan.

“Sir Raihan!!” Hop said far too loudly, “Congrats!!”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Raihan said, putting on a small smile for the prince. “I am grateful for your support.”

“I'm so glad that you're the one who's gonna be my brother's Champion!!” he enthused, beaming up at him. After seeing Hop around the castle, Raihan had learned that although Hop’s bright golden eyes were reminiscent of Leon’s when he was young, they were less innocent and much more mischievous. Raihan returned the prince’s smile with one of his own.

“Thank you. And I look forward to working alongside you as well, Prince Hop.”

“Me too! Kabu said that when you aren’t protecting Leon, you’ll be protecting me, right?”

Rose appeared behind Hop, tapping his cane on the stone floor a time or two as he watched Hop and Raihan closely.

“That is true,” Raihan said. “As the King’s Champion, it is my duty to keep all the royal family safe, including yourself.”

“Yeah!” He jumped about excitedly. “Will you teach me how to fight?!”

Rose frowned, his voice stern.

“Hop, you are far too young for such things.”

“Hm,” Raihan knew the wise move would be to agree with Rose to get in the Steward’s good graces. He glanced over at the portly man, and thought of all the times he had looked down on Raihan through his youth. 

“I would need the King’s permission first,” Raihan said, returning his gaze to Hop. “But if it is his will, I would be honored to teach you.”

Rose frowned, but Hop let out a cheer, pumping a fist into the air.

“Yeah! I’ll ask him, Leon will let me!”

Rose let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“We’ll just have to see what he says.”

“R— er— Sir Raihan! Will you tell me how you got your scar sometime?”

“Hop!” Rose scolded, “don’t be rude!”

“It’s quite alright, Steward Rose, I don’t mind.” Raihan crouched to get eye-level with Hop.

He told him a child-friendly, but still quite exciting story of how he and the squad he was commanding were ordered to defend a town from giant insect monsters that had recently started attacking. He described how he and his men defended the town and followed the monsters to their den, where the creatures were raising their young. He glazed over how severely he was injured, only telling Hop how he was hurt by a giant mantis with scythes for arms, but he learned in the process that the monsters were only attacking because the townsfolk had started logging too close to the den, and the creatures felt threatened and afraid. He went on to describe how he was able to find a solution that let the townsfolk get the lumber they needed while letting the bug monsters live in peace.

Hop was a very attentive listener, hanging on his every word, and cheered when Raihan was done.

“That was _amazing!!_ You helped the people _and_ the bugs!! I love bugs, I’d love to see the blade-bugs sometime!”

Raihan’s smile became more fixed. He thought about the murderous intent in the creature’s eyes as he narrowly deflected the blow that would have taken his head from his shoulders, or the bodies of his men beside him, or the fear in Sebastian’s voice as he pulled Raihan’s bloody body from the den.

“We’ll see.”

“Hooray!!” Hop enthused, spinning around in a tight circle. Rose shook his head with a small smile.

“Never short on energy, are you my Prince?”

“Thanks for the story, Sir Raihan! I’m so excited to spend time with you!!”

“I’m very excited to be at your side too, Your Highness.” Raihan rose to his feet.

“See you later!” Hop dashed off toward the food table, Rose at his heels.

“Please slow down, your Highness!”

Raihan watched after them for a moment, then turned away, moving back among the crowd. It was full of mostly unfamiliar faces, some of which congratulated him, some of which simply nodded, but finally there was one more familiar face.

Sonia spotted Raihan coming toward her, biting her lip, but not turning away. Instead, she slipped through the crowd toward him, apologizing to a few people on the way. Raihan watched her approach, slowing as she drew near.

“A-ah, congratulations on becoming Champion, Sir Raihan,” Sonia said to him quietly, twirling her hair just like she had when she was younger.

“Thank you, Lady Sonia,” he turned to face her. “I heard you were granted the title of Royal Archivist. Allow me to give you your own congratulations.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head a fraction.

“Thank you. You ah… you’ve changed quite a bit since I last saw you, Sir Raihan.”

“As have you, My Lady.”

“I suppose so,” she replied, her eyes moving about the room, “...it does seem like everything has changed since you were here last.”

“Ten years is a long time,” Raihan agreed. “Though I suppose it would be a little strange if nothing had changed at all, wouldn’t it?”

A small smile found her face, and she looked back at Raihan.

“That is true… the most boring parts of history are when nothing changes.” Her gaze grew softer, sadder. “I hope the changes that have found you in these last ten years were not too harsh.”

“Nothing I haven’t been able to endure,” he said softly. “But your compassion is appreciated. I hope the years have been kinder to you than I.”

“They have been kind enough, to be sure,” she replied, “things have quieted down from the storm that they were several years back, thanks to Leon.”

She gasped, putting a hand over her mouth with a look of surprise.

“K-King! King Leon. Ah… old habits die hard, it seems…”

Raihan smiled, and there was just a hint of his old smirk on his lips. 

“Don’t worry. I promise not to tell anyone.”

Sonia huffed just a little, her expression shifting into one very familiar.

“You better not! I haven’t had trouble calling him King in _years!_ ”

His smile widened as Sonia got worked up, just as she used to from their relentless teasing as children, and the nostalgia was so strong it was painful. His smile fell as sorrow overtook him, mourning what was lost.

“At ease, Lady Sonia. It is not my desire to cause trouble.”

Sonia’s expression cracked as Riahan’s smile dropped.

“I know… I’m sorry if I came across as truly upset.”

Raihan shook his head. “All is forgiven, but thank you nonetheless.” 

She drifted a bit closer to him, resting one hand on Raihan’s heavily armored arm.

“I know that we haven’t spoken in years… and we’re two different people than when we last did, but…” Sonia bit her lip, her voice soft enough that only he could hear. “If you need someone to talk to, know that I’ll listen, all right?”

His eyes widened in genuine surprise, then his expression softened.

“Thank you, Lady Sonia. Truly.”

“You’re welcome, Sir Raihan.” She pulled her hand back and tucked some of her red hair behind one ear.

“May you enjoy the rest of the celebration,” he said.

“You too,” Sonia said quietly, drifting back into the hubbub of the crowd. 

Raihan watched her go and turned away. Though he stayed until the end of the celebration, his mind was very far away.

* * *

Raihan quickly settled into his new routine over the next few days. He would awaken before the dawn and go down to the barracks and the training grounds where he used to watch Camilla and the other soldiers train all those years ago. He’d spend a few hours training and getting to know the other Royal Guards, then grab a quick breakfast from the kitchens on the way to Leon’s rooms. There, he’d await Leon, who would emerge roughly at dawn, already dressed by his manservants and ready for the day. From there, Raihan would accompany Leon through his morning of constantly changing meetings, discussions, and petitions he needed to oversee personally. They’d take a light midday meal together, usually with other nobles so Leon could continue to be productive while he ate, then spent at least an hour of the early afternoon in a private study, pouring over books or paperwork that demanded his attention.

The rest of the afternoon was flexible. Usually there were more meetings to attend, though sometimes they would make a public appearance or attend some kind of entertainment in order to give a royal endorsement. Finally, they would take dinner, which varied between a large affair or a quiet private meal, then Raihan would follow Leon back to the King’s private chambers until dismissed. Once dismissed, Riahan had an hour to himself before he also retired to his bed. 

Occasionally, Leon would dismiss Raihan early if he had a meeting with Rose that would take long into the night, or he’d spend time guarding Hop while Leon was in a particularly long meeting or safe in his study. When Raihan was not by Leon’s side, he was always replaced by at least two Elite Royal Guards.

Today, after a particularly long and arduous council meeting that took up the majority of the afternoon, Leon and Raihan had taken dinner privately in one of the lounge rooms and retreated immediately afterward to Leon’s rooms.

“I spent _far_ too many hours in that council room today for my liking,” Leon said as they walked back to his chambers, “it is more often merely an echo chamber for nobles to listen to themselves talk for hours on end rather than a place to make any decisions.”

“Count Gordie certainly had very little to say, while taking a very long time to say it,” Raihan said, closing the door to the sitting room behind them. 

Leon’s quarters was a suite of three rooms, a sitting room, his bed chambers, and a bathing room. The sitting room contained a chaise and few comfortable chairs and a large, open area with a suspended sand bag, two training dummies, and a handful of other equipment that Leon used to keep himself in shape. His bed chambers held his bed, extensive wardrobe, a few chairs positioned around a large fireplace, along with an extravagant vanity with a real glass mirror, not just polished steel. The bathing room was cleverly positioned so a reservoir of water sat behind the bedroom’s fireplace, heating both the bedroom and a whole bath’s worth of water at the same time, providing the king with a continuous supply of hot water. 

As Leon entered his chambers, he moved to a display rack near the chaise in his sitting room, removing his cape and putting it up on it.

“I’m greatly looking forward to the end-of-season inspections, those at least allow me to leave the castle, even if I end up hearing nearly as much bickering.”

“Where do the inspections take you?” Raihan asked.

“I do a check-in with each province and their respective leaders every season to be sure that things are running smoothly. Some visits last merely a day, others last significantly longer, depending on that region’s leader’s grievances.”

Leon next removed his outermost layer, and between the jostle of his clothes and the long day, his long, thick mane of hair was quite tangled.

“Ah,” Raihan said. “So we’ll be traveling through much of Galar. Yes, that will be a reprieve from spending all day in the castle.”

“Indeed.” Leon retrieved a big brush from where it sat on one of the chairs, moving over to the chaise. “It appears my servants are running a bit late today. Come brush my hair.”

“Yes, Sire,” Raihan said.

Despite only having been knighted and pronounced the King’s Champion a week ago, he’d already gotten used to such requests. He took the brush from Leon and started brushing through the long, wild mane of hair, using his fingers as much as the brush to ease through the many tangles. He loved how long Leon’s hair had grown, and prayed he never cut it.

Some of the tension in Leon’s shoulders eased as Raihan brushed his hair. He sat quietly, and didn’t flinch as Raihan met snags or knots. His voice was softer when he next spoke.

“...tell me a story from when you were apart from me.”

“What kind of story, Sire? I have many.”

Leon considered for a moment. “A pleasant story.”

“Hm…” Raihan considered, trailing his fingers through Leon’s hair. “Have I told you of how I saved Stow-on-Side from a dragon who could swim through rock and earth as if it were water?”

“No… I would very much like to hear that story. However, I wish to see you as you tell it to me. If you must stop in your task, that is all right.”

Raihan gave one final brush, then returned the brush to Leon and moved to stand at attention before him. Leon motioned for him to sit on one of the cushy chairs near the chaise.

“Sit.” He began brushing out his own hair, long enough to pool slightly on the chaise while he sat upon it.

Raihan took a seat, shifting to get comfortable in his leather armor. The leather armor, combined with the Champion’s livelry was his daily wear, and the full plate armor was meant for ceremony or when leaving the castle. Once comfortable, he launched into his story of a shark-like dragon that swam through ground as easily as if it were water, and was terrorizing small villages on the outskirts of Stow-on-Side. His unit was sent to vanquish the dragon, but he was able to calm its wild temper, and learned that its hunting grounds had been flooded by unusually heavy rains. He’d been able to unite the villagers to work together and divert the flood waters to their own crops, and let the dragon return home.

He didn’t mention how he’d almost failed to placate the dragon in the first place, or how he’d literally been in the dragon’s jaws before it calmed.

Leon listened intently, leaning in closer to Raihan at some of the more exciting moments. And in those moments, his normally steely gaze opened just a little, a hint of how a much younger Leon's eyes looked when Raihan told him stories of dragons shining through.

“...incredible,” he said, examining Raihan closely once he was finished. “You are incredible.”

“Thank you, my Liege,” he said, and clung to that flicker of familiar awe in Leon’s eyes before it faded. “I just know that many of these creatures are not ill-willed, and I do my best to find a peaceful solution.”

Leon nodded to him, finishing up braiding his own hair.

“You taught me that… and I have striven to do the same.”

“I have seen that in the way you have built compromises between your subjects,” Raihan said with a small smile.

A sigh escaped Leon, and he tossed his braid over one shoulder.

“If only people listened as well to me as the creatures do to you…” Leon mused.

“Nonsense, Sire. From what I’ve seen, you’ve done quite well at working with the people around you,” Raihan said.

“I thank you,” Leon replied, shaking his head, “though I do sometimes get impatient. My father was far better than I at forging compromises.”

Leon’s gaze grew more distant, and he looked away from Raihan.

Raihan’s heart ached. What must it have been like for Leon to never say goodbye? To watch his parents sail away to a foreign kingdom and then never see them again?

“Your Majesty?” he asked softly.

Leon was silent for a long moment, his gaze obviously on something very far away. When he spoke again, it was soft, but no less commanding.

“...touch me. Take my mind away from the darkness.”

Raihan’s heart leapt into his throat and his face heated up.

“Sire?” he asked, not sure if he’d heard Leon correctly.

“Do not make me repeat myself,” came his stern reply.

Raihan moved off the chair and knelt before Leon, then gently took Leon’s hand with both of his own. He started slow and gentle, caressing Leon’s fingers with his own, sliding up over his palm to stroke his wrist, then trailed back down to his fingertips.

Leon watched Raihan’s movement closely, his fingers spreading out wide as Raihan’s nimble fingers explored his hand. Finally, his eyes slowly began to droop, and he gradually eased them closed, looking more relaxed than ever before.

Raihan looked up at him, finding him as beautiful as ever, but even relaxed, he was still stern. He looked back at the broad hand in his and ran a thumb over Leon’s palm.

“I’ve given a great deal of thought to this. This bond we share.” 

Raihan gently touched the fingertip he had pricked a week ago to prove himself to Leon.

Leon’s eyes fluttered open, looking down at his and Raihan’s hands entwined with one another.

“Is that so?” Leon questioned quietly, his hand twitching slightly in Raihan’s.

“Yes,” Raihan said. “We didn’t have a great way to discuss it...before. But I believe it would be wise to put together a series of fast signals. Spelling out words on our hands is… painful. And inefficient. But perhaps a prick here…or here, or here…”

He pressed his thumb against the heel of Leon’s hand, then a fingertip, then a knuckle.

“...could have different meanings. Like yes or no. Come or wait. All clear. Danger. ...Help.”

Leon’s golden eyes sharpened as Raihan spoke, considering his words carefully.

“I believe this is a good idea,” he said quietly, “it would be a very efficient way to communicate.”

“And secret,” he said. “Useful in a high risk situation. As your Champion, it is my duty to keep you safe. I pray we never find ourselves in a situation where such need is warranted. …But it would be prudent to prepare ourselves for the possibility.” 

Leon closed his hand around Raihan’s.

“Agreed. I would much rather be prepared than surprised.”

“We could…” Raihan hesitated only a moment before continuing, hoping he didn’t sound presumptuous. “We could make a system and memorize it in the evenings. In moments like this.”

He ran his fingers smoothly over the back of Leon’s hand. Leon’s yellow eyes followed the motion of Raihan’s fingers, his grip firm, but lacked the warmth it once had.

“I trust you to devise the system,” he said, “and I will learn it when we have the time for you to teach it to me.”

“As you wish, my King.” Raihan bowed his head.

“Good. I thank you for this concept, I believe it has great potential, and will help us in many situations.”

Leon’s voice was curt. Professional. Cold. The correct tone for a king to use when addressing one of his subjects. All spoken while Raihan tenderly caressed his hands. The ice in Leon’s voice reached Raihan’s heart and it _burned._

“Agreed, Your Majesty. I will see it done.”

“Thank you, Sir Raihan.”

A moment of quiet passed, and Leon’s hand tightened ever so slightly around Raihan’s before he pulled it away at the sound of footsteps from the hallway.

“On your feet,” Leon said quietly, turning toward the door as a knock echoed throughout the room.

“Your Majesty?” came the voice of Leon’s manservant, “I am exceedingly sorry for being late, may I come in and attend to you?”

Raihan rose to his feet and stood stiffly at attention.

“Yes, you may enter,” Leon answered, and the door opened a moment later. The manservant hustled in, obviously flustered at running late, and bowed deeply to Leon.

“I am so very sorry, my King, I promise it will not happen again.”

“It is all right,” Leon said, rising to his feet, “be at peace.”

As the manservant began his usual work, Leon looked at Raihan, gaze as impassive as ever.

“You are dismissed, Champion Raihan.”

Raihan bowed deeply.

“I will see you in the morning, Your Majesty. May pleasant dreams find you.”

Leon’s expression and voice grew even more distant, and he looked away.

“...may they find you, as well.”

Raihan turned smartly on his heel and sighed once the door to the king’s chambers closed behind him. He walked slowly through the long hallways, trying to parse out his muddled, complex thoughts. By the time he reached his rooms, he was no closer to sorting out his thoughts and feelings, and decided he would just go to bed early. He entered his room and froze in his steps, a chill passing over him.

Above his bed floated a familiar, pale face, still in the same disheveled clothes that he’d been in so many years ago. Allister seemed to be examining Raihan’s few personal items, now in new places after Raihan had moved into a room much closer to Leon’s quarters.

“Allister?” Raihan gasped. “Is that really you?”

Allister startled, and turned in the air to face Raihan, his gloomy face lighting up with a smile.

“Raihan! I was starting to think maybe you’d forgotten me…”

“I was starting to think I’d imagined you,” Raihan said and approached him, ignoring the chill in the room.

A ghostly giggle escaped the specter, and he floated closer toward Raihan, shaking his head.

“You _did_ reject my existence pretty intently the first time around, so that makes sense. I’m just glad you saw me this time.”

“Have I failed to see you before?” Raihan asked, his brow knitting in concern.

Allister nodded, still drifting lazily through the air.

“A few times. People tend to only see what they want to see, especially when they’ve got a lot on their minds.”

“Forgive me, old friend,” he dropped down onto the bed. “I certainly have a lot on my mind now.”

“No harm done,” Allister said, and moved to sit next to him on the bed. His ghostly form seemed so much smaller now than it had been before.

Raihan fell silent for a moment.

“Does L— King Leon still see you?”

“Oh yes,” Allister said, nodding, “he’s always been able to see me. Hop, too.”

Emotion threatened to close his throat and Raihan dropped his head.

“Then at least you were there for him when I wasn’t.”

“O-oh, hey, um.... 

Allister reached out to try and comfort him, but all Raihan felt was a slight chill.

“...I-I'm sure you came back as fast as you could.”

“Not fast enough,” he said bitterly. “It was much harder than I expected. I can’t stop thinking of what would have happened if I did come sooner. If I could have helped him before he… if I could have stopped him from becoming…” 

“...becoming what?” came Allister's small voice.

“Cold,” Raihan finally said, his first time saying the words out loud. “He’s so distant. He’s a different person. I knew losing his parents to that Kalos assassin would be hard on him, but I never expected this.”

Allister drooped, his voice getting even smaller and softer.

“...yes. The years have not been kind to him… though they were not pleasant to you, either…” A cold breeze passed along Raihan’s scarred cheek.

Raihan ran a thumb along the scar. “At least I wear most of my scars on my skin. His seem to be far worse. I want to help him, but I don’t know if I can.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you could try,” Allister said hopefully, “of anyone, I think you have the best chance of getting through to him… even Hop struggles with how cold Leon is sometimes, and Leon’s the most warm with him, by far.”

Raihan let out a low breath. “You’re right. I have to try. …Allister. You’ve been with him all this time, right? You can’t leave the castle?” 

“That’s right. I… I tried to help him through things… but…” He shook his head, staring at the floor. “...ever since his parents died and he was attacked… he’s just never been the same.”

Raihan sprang to his feet and turned to face Allister. 

“He was attacked?! When? How?”

Allister’s dark but semi-transparent eyes met Raihan’s.

“Everyone kept it very quiet… because it was nearly the same day that the King and Queen were assassinated. A Kalos noble was visiting… and well… they say he stabbed Leon…” Allister ducked his head, looking upset. “...I didn’t see it… just saw Leon in the infirmary later…”

“That’s why they had us all posted along the southern shore… guarding against a possible attack from Kalos…” Raihan said slowly, putting the pieces together. 

Allister nodded slowly. 

“...things were real scary for a while there. I thought—” He swallowed, though it made no sound. “...I was scared for Leon. He was in bed for weeks afterward. They had him guarded all the time… I was barely able to talk to him… and when I did, they were convinced he was hallucinating because of his ailments.”

Raihan sank back down to the bed and put a hand over his heart. 

“When news reached us of the King and Queen’s passing, I was sick with worry over him. He wasn’t replying to my messages,” Raihan looked down at his bond hand. “I just thought he was grieving. I never thought… I never suspected…”

He made a sound of frustration and punched the bed beside him.

“Why did I take so long to return? Why didn’t I come back sooner? Damn!” 

Allister’s expressive eyes were sad, and he shook his head, speaking more firmly this time.

“You did the best you could. And you’re back now, that’s what matters.”

“You’re right,” Raihan said, and took a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m here now, and I cannot change the past. It is the present that matters.”

Allister smiled a little bit.

“That’s right. I… I’m really happy you’re back. You and Leon and Hop… you three are the best friends I’ve ever had.”

“That means a lot, coming from you,” Raihan said. “Thank you. You’re always welcome to drop in whenever I’m free.”

“Thanks, Raihan.” Allister smiled more brightly. “And y’know… if you ever need to talk to someone about Leon… I’m here.” He bit his lip. “...I know it doesn’t seem like it… but he’s happy you’re here. You’re almost all he’s talked about for a month.”

Raihan’s heart skipped a beat and he gave Allister a shocked look. 

“Really? I… I didn’t know.”

Allister nodded more intently.

“He has a really hard time opening up to people now… but I just know he wants to open up to you.”

“Then… I’ll keep at it. I’ll be there for him. I will keep him safe,” Raihan said. “Even from his own demons.”

“Thank you, Raihan,” Allister said quietly but sincerely.

“And thanks to you, Allister,” Raihan said with a small smile. “Let me know if ever my help is needed.”

“I will. It’s… it’s really good to have you back, Raihan.”

Allister slipped forward, giving Raihan a ghostly hug, though Raihan felt nothing but an intense chill spike up his spine. Raihan made the motion of hugging back around the empty air Allister occupied, but couldn’t hide the shiver that passed through him. Soon Allister slipped away, chewing on his lip.

“G-g’night, Raihan,” he said, then floated away through the door.

Raihan let out a long sigh. He replayed their conversation over and over in his mind as he undressed and fell into bed, processing the new information, and finally fell asleep to troubled dreams.


	7. The Long Cold - Chapter 3

“Look at this one, Raihan!”

Raihan smiled as Hop rushed over with something held in his cupped hands. He was supervising the Prince as he played in the gardens of the inner courtyard, protected by the high castle walls. Hop danced from foot to foot briefly before opening his hands just enough for Raihan to see a big blue beetle with a yellow belly and black markings.

“Ah, I like that one, Prince Hop,” Raihan said. “Very pretty.”

“Do you think Rose would let me keep it in my room?” he asked as the beetle started crawling along his arm.

“I don’t think so,” Raihan said. “But even if he did, I don’t think the beetle would like it very much.”

“Huh?” Hop looked up at Raihan, “why not? My room’s really nice.”

“Because his home is outside,” Raihan gestured to the grass, herb gardens, and little pond in the courtyard. “He lives in the grass and the leaves. He would be sad to leave his home. And what if he has a family?”

Hop frowned, watching the beetle as he thought about this.

“...hm… I guess… it wouldn’t be nice to just _take_ him…” he said contemplatively, and he gently set his arm back in the grass, letting the beetle climb back into it.

As Raihan spent time with the young prince, the aching similarities between Hop and young Leon faded, and Hop’s own unique traits shone through. However, that came with its own set of challenges, such as Raihan’s heart breaking every time the bright and cheerful prince frowned. The disappointment on Hop’s face tore at Raihan’s heartstrings.

“Beetles and their homes aside, do you want me to show you something fun?”

Hop’s head snapped up to look at Raihan, a grin back on his face in an instant.

“Of _course!_ ”

Raihan gave him a half smile and led him to the little manicured pond. He pulled his belt knife off, and with a silent apology to the gardeners, cut down a reed. 

“Come and watch.”

Raihan sat cross-legged in the grass and carefully made a reed pipe, talking Hop through all the steps, then played a simple scale and handed it off to Hop. He took it with glee, beaming back at Raihan.

“It’s incredible!!” He blew into the pipe with fervor, the sound rather off-key.

Raihan smiled, and took particular joy in the knowledge that Hop would spend the next few days irritating the useless nobility that loitered around the castle with his new pipe.

“This is great! Thanks a lot, Raihan!” Hop sprang forward and gave Raihan a tight hug.

Raihan stiffened and hesitated, then gently hugged Hop back.

“You’re welcome, Prince Hop.”

Hop grinned up at Raihan, still holding onto him.

“...you don’t have to call me Prince, you know… if you don’t want to…” 

“I know, Your Highness, and I thank you for that consideration,” Raihan said. “But while we are in public, it is best that I treat you with the respect you are due.”

Hop pouted up at him.

“Fiiiine… can I at least try and make you a pipe too?”

Sebastian came jogging into the gardens towards them, carrying several packs and some of Raihan’s weapons. 

“Of course you can,” Raihan said, rising to his feet. “But don’t cut yourself!”

With that, he turned his attention to Sebastian, but kept one sharp eye on Hop. 

“Is everything ready?”

Sebastian nodded, slowing in front of Raihan.

“Yes, sir! I’ve got everything ready for your trip to Spikemuth.” He held out Raihan’s things to him, barely winded from the trip from Raihan’s room.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” he said, taking his packs. “Is my horse ready?”

Sebastian nodded, standing at attention beside Raihan as he got ready.

“Yes, all the horses are ready and awaiting the travelling party near the entrance gate.”

“Perfect,” he said, clapping Sebastian on the arm. “Thank you for the help, Sebastian.”

Sebastian smiled at him, his eyes warm. “You’re welcome, Sir Raihan. Is there anything else you need before you depart?”

“No, thank you. Are you relieving me of my duty, or are other guards coming?”

“I was to relieve you, but only once King Leon arrives… he is still in talks with Steward Rose in the council room at the moment.”

“Excellent,” Raihan nodded, then looked back at Hop. “Will you be alright while we’re gone, Prince Hop?”

Hop ran back over to the two of them, holding two poorly cut reeds, the ends ragged and their stems too short to make decent pipes. He pouted up at Raihan.

“I guess so,” he said, his bottom lip jutting out, “I wanna come with you guys! Rose says that Spikemuth has a ton of creatures that live there!”

“Maybe when you’re older,” Raihan said. “But for now, it’s just myself, the king, and his entourage. It’s only for an inspection anyway. It would be very boring.”

“Boring?” Hop said, “but how could it be boring when there’s a bunch of awesome creatures there? Aren’t you excited to see all of them?”

Sebastian gave Raihan a sideways look, a small smile finding his face, though he said nothing.

“Ah… Well, I am excited to see them. But we’re mostly going to be looking at stores of rice, not interesting creatures.”

“Hmm… yeah, that does sound boring. ...oh! I gotta make your pipes before you go! I’ll cut them better this time!” Hop dashed off back toward the small pond.

Sebastian turned toward Raihan, concern flitting across his face.

“...you know I fully trust your abilities, but… some of the stories I’ve heard about Spikemuth and the creatures there…” He chewed on his lower lip.

“What have you heard?” Raihan asked, watching Hop fuss with the reeds by the pond. “All I know is it’s swampland supposedly ravaged by monsters.”

“Yes, though the monsters there are said to be more fierce than anywhere else. Massive, ravenous badgers and large octopus that can somehow live within the swamps… not to mention foxes that can outsmart men of their food. It… it sounds pretty rough. I’ve only talked to a couple people that were posted there, and it sounds like they don’t have much guard presence…”

“Plenty of monsters and no guard? Hm… The militia never positioned us there because they said we weren’t needed. Rumor said we weren’t wanted.”

Sebastian frowned. “...if it’s so dangerous, why wouldn’t they want guard protection? They’re owed that from the Crown…”

“I suppose I’ll find out when we get there,” Raihan said with a shrug.

“I suppose so,” Sebastian said with a smile. His smile dropped after a moment, and he worried his lower lip again. “...just… be careful, okay?”

“I’ll be fine, Seb,” Raihan said with a roll of his eyes. “If anyone can handle themselves out there, it’s me.”

“R-right, of course,” Sebastian said, looking away.

“Hop!” Steward Rose’s voice rang about the garden as he and Leon approached, Rose hustling ahead toward Hop. “What are you doing in the pond, you’ll ruin your trousers!”

“The best reeds were in there!” Hop said cheerily, now wading out of the pool with a _lot_ more reeds in his arms, the cuts on them ranging from poorly done to decent as the Prince had cut more and more. Leon stopped next to Raihan and Sebastian, though his gaze was on Hop.

Raihan relaxed a little at the soothing sounds of Rose’s annoyance, and turned to regard Leon. 

“Your Majesty. Are we ready to depart?”

“Yes,” Leon said simply, watching Hop for a moment more before he turned toward Raihan, “let’s go, we are unfortunately already behind schedule.”

“Bye Lee!!” Hop called from the pond, beaming at Leon, “you and Raihan be safe, okay?”

“See you soon, Hop,” Leon called back, giving him a wave.

Raihan gave Sebastian and Hop a nod, then left the courtyard with Leon, to where their horses and the rest of the entourage waited. Leon easily mounted his magnificent white horse, wearing his full plate armor today, complete with a broadsword and shield across his back. With a gesture, he bid the party to move out, and their company rode at a modest pace toward Spikemuth.

Spikemuth was fairly close, only a two day ride at the pace they were keeping. They’d spend the night in a royal estate along the way, then continue on the next day. They traveled with an entourage of Elite Royal Guards, one of the castle treasurers, and a handful of clerks. Privately, Raihan wondered why Leon needed to be present for the inspection at all, and why the treasurer couldn’t just handle the inspection alone. The first day’s ride was uneventful, but the question bothered him all day.

He didn’t get a chance to voice his concerns until they’d reached the estate. Servants immediately swarmed them, taking their horses to the stables and taking care of their packed belongings. They were given a grand dinner, roast pheasant with quail eggs, along with steamed vegetables and berry tarts. Leon ate with all the decorum and dignity befitting a king, but Raihan couldn’t help but notice that Leon did help himself to a second berry tart. 

After dinner, they immediately retired to bed, as Leon wanted to get back on the road early. They were escorted by the guards permanently stationed at the estate to the royal suite, and one burly guard opened the door for Leon.

“This way, Your Majesty. We’ll be right outside if you need anything. And Champion Raihan! Your room is down this way.”

Raihan hesitated as the guard started to lead him away and glanced back at Leon. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the estate guards, they’d still passed the trials to make it into the Royal Guard, after all, even if they were stationed at an estate instead of the castle, but the thought of leaving Leon in an unfamiliar place made him nervous.

“Sire,” he asked before the guards could usher him to his own room. “Do you require further assistance?”

Leon paused in the doorway to his room, meeting Raihan’s eyes. He only considered him for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, we do have some things to discuss. Please, come in, Champion Raihan.”

Leon continued into his room, where his luggage had already been placed. He sat on the edge of the room’s four-post bed, beginning to brush out his own, long hair. Raihan closed the door behind him and stood before Leon.

“Your Majesty,” Raihan bowed respectfully. “You said we had some things to discuss.”

“Yes,” Leon said, motioning Raihan closer, “and I suspect you had some things on your mind, as well.”

“Oh, I… I did, as a matter of fact, Sire,” Raihan said. 

Leon gestured to a chair beside his bed. “Then tell me.”

Raihan obediently took a seat.

“Why do these inspections, Sire? At least, why do them personally? It seems that the treasurer or a few clerks could do this themselves. Why leave the castle to inspect stores of rice?”

A small bit of surprise found Leon’s face, and his brush slowed, then stopped.

“Ah, I did not expect that question.” He slipped back into the familiar motions of brushing out his hair. “There are many benefits to seeing the different sides of my kingdom myself. I could simply send the clerks to take a tally on how much rice is being produced, and I could even send the treasurer to talk with Duke Piers to find out why more or less was produced than the year prior. However, seeing the state the cities are in myself is something I feel strongly about. Especially Spikemuth.”

“Especially Spikemuth?” Raihan echoed. “Why?”

“Spikemuth and the surrounding area is a very harsh environment. I like to keep a close eye on how they are faring, in case they need assistance. Duke Piers is very stubborn, and doesn’t always ask for aid when I would like to provide it.”

“I see,” Raihan said, a few things clicking into place. “While I was with the militia, I heard many rumors of danger from Spikemuth, but we were never deployed to give assistance there.”

Leon nodded, brushing out the last of the tangles in his hair. “The citizens of Spikemuth are a proud people. They prefer to keep to themselves and protect themselves. I do my best to uphold their wishes… while also making sure they are still going to be safe.” He set the brush aside, beginning to braid his hair. “I can only do so much for them without becoming an overbearing ruler. So Spikemuth is a region I visit more frequently than most.”

“I understand, Sire,” Raihan said. “And if you were to send someone else in your stead, they may not recognize the aid Spikemuth needs — or any of the other lands in Galar.”

“Others have pieces of the painting, and some think they know what the whole artwork looks like… but the painter’s view is different than anyone else’s. That is part of why I do these inspections myself.”

“Very insightful, Sire,” Raihan nodded.

Leon nodded in return, finishing the braid in his long hair.

“Is that all you wished to speak to me about?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Understood. I did wish to speak to you regarding our hand signals… I wanted to be sure that I had them down as you described them to me.”

“Of course, Sire,” Raihan said.

Leon gestured to his hand as he spoke, reciting back to Raihan the corresponding signals that he’d taught Leon not long ago. He went through several, then looked up at Raihan to confirm that he’d gotten it right.

“—prick to the middle finger is ‘Danger’... prick to the pointer finger is ‘Wait’, and prick to the center of the palm is ‘Help.’ ...is all of that correct?”

“Yes, Sire,” Raihan said with a nod. “Well done. You’ve memorized my plan quite perfectly.”

“Excellent,” Leon responded. “I also had something crafted to help our system be more effective. Would you get my pack and bring it here?”

“Of course, Sire,” He rose to his feet and gathered up Leon’s primary pack and brought it to him, setting it beside him on the bed.

Leon took the pack, opening it and pulling out two simple leather bands. He held one up.

“Observe.” 

He wrapped it around his right wrist, fastening it. Then he opened a panel on the band, revealing two needles tucked inside.

Raihan’s eyes widened.

“Needles,” he said. “So we can’t be caught without a way to use our hand signals. Majesty, that’s brilliant!”

The corner of Leon’s lips twitched just slightly, and he held out the second band toward Raihan.

“Thank you. It isn’t a foolproof plan, by any means… but it’s far better than pulling out a knife or using an even more unwieldy weapon.”

“Agreed, Sire,” Raihan said, and took his band, fastening it around his wrist. “Thank you.”

Leon’s sharp eyes watched as Raihan put his own band on, then looked back up at his face. “You’re welcome. If that is all, then you are dismissed for the evening.”

“Of…” Raihan hesitated. “Of course, Sire…”

He wavered, his reluctance to leave obvious.

A small frown found Leon’s face, looking Raihan up and down.

“...why do you hesitate, Sir Raihan?”

Raihan stiffened. 

“Forgive me, my Liege. I do not mean to doubt the skill or competency of the guards posted here, but I am uncomfortable leaving you alone in an unfamiliar and less secure location.”

He stared straight ahead, knowing damn well that he was being irrational, and it was offensive to doubt the guards posted outside, but he wasn’t about to lie to his King.

“....hm.” Leon considered him for a long moment, then stood and moved toward him. “What do you propose, if you find these protections inadequate?”

“If it pleases His Majesty, I wish to spend the night in a position where I may best be able to serve you should an emergency arise.”

One of Leon’s dark brows arched. “What position would that be, Sir Raihan?”

The brief, extremely unprofessional thought of exactly what position Raihan would like to be in to serve Leon passed through his mind. He quickly stomped on that thought, and firmly reminded himself that there was no room for that kind of thinking, no matter what they had in the past.

No matter what he longed for.

“It would be foolhardy for me to stay awake all night on guard,” he admitted. “But perhaps if I…”

Gods, he was going to have to say it. Leon was going to make him say it out loud.

“If I could spend the night in your room.” 

Leon considered him in a long, painful silence.

“...it’s true that we have not stayed at this estate in a while, so if it would ease your mind to sleep in my room tonight… I suppose I have no issue with it.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Raihan said with a stiff bow and a swell of relief. 

Leon nodded to him and turned back to his bed, resting a hand on the leather band around his wrist. “Get what you need and be back here shortly. I wish to retire.”

Raihan bowed again and quickly showed himself out. He washed up and changed into a comfortable tunic and trousers, though he still wore his sword belt and his new leather wristband. He promptly returned once again to Leon’s room.

Leon was just getting settled into his big bed, now dressed in his sleepwear, and looked up as Raihan entered.

“The sofa just there looks decently comfortable, will that be a sufficient resting place? I’m sure we can have them arrange something better for the trip back.”

“No, this is quite adequate,” Raihan said, taking a seat on the sofa. “I’ve slept on significantly worse.”

“Let us hope that all is peaceful tonight,” Leon said, sinking down on his bed and getting comfortable.

“Agreed,” Raihan said. He kicked off his boots and laid down on the couch, setting his sword within easy reach on the floor beside him.

“Good night, Sir Raihan,” Leon said softly, his voice already getting thick with sleep.

“…Good night, my King,” Raihan replied. 

It wasn’t long before Leon’s breath slowed and evened out as sleep claimed him, but Raihan remained awake for a while longer. The last time they’d spent a night together, they’d been teenagers and had spent the night outdoors under the open sky watching shooting stars. They’d fallen asleep against each other and woken up with stiff necks and sore backs, but laughed all the way back to Aria’s Inn. 

Yet another thing that had changed. The concept of speaking out of turn to his King was preposterous, much less sharing a bed with him. Or the less-than-platonic intrusive thoughts he’d had earlier. Raihan didn’t know what was worse: the fact that Leon had become something unattainable, or the fact that he was starting to accept it. With a sigh, Raihan closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

* * *

Raihan awoke all at once and sat up sharply, his sword in his hand before he even realized he’d drawn it. Years of guard duty and being forced to rest in dangerous environments had honed his senses and made him a light sleeper. He rose to his feet with his naked blade in his hand and scanned the room.

The sound was coming from Leon’s bed, a soft moaning noise. Soon it was apparent that Leon himself was tossing and turning in bed, his expression one of pain and distress. Raihan took a step toward him, then lowered his blade as he processed the scene. He scanned the room again to be sure there was no other danger, then sheathed his sword.

A nightmare? He supposed that wasn’t terribly surprising. Being king must come with a great deal of stress, and Leon had been through so much in his life. Raihan thought sourly of Allister’s words, that Leon had almost joined his parents to an assassin’s blade all those years ago. A sharp gasp came from the bed, snapping him back out of his thoughts.

Leon was writhing slightly in his covers, his face twisted in an expression of agony as a soft whimper forced its way from his throat.

The sound broke Raihan’s heart and he rushed to the beside, then froze. What was he supposed to do? Shake his king awake? ‘Excuse me Majesty, but you were having a bad dream and I wanted you to stop?’ Gods, how was he supposed to handle this? _Should_ he handle this? This was no assassin or brigand in the night, this was a nightmare. What would Leon think if his Champion manhandled him to awaken him in the middle of the night?

As Raihan circled about in his thoughts, gradually Leon’s whimpers slowly ceased, and his motions stilled. Soon, he lay peaceful once again, the only evidence of his nightmares being the tousled blankets and his newly furrowed brow.

Raihan sighed and took a step back. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair. It was fine. Everything was fine. Just a dream. Leon was fine. He looked him over once more, and his eyes lingered on Leon’s broad shoulders and followed the gentle curve of his spine down to his rear before he realized he was staring. Grateful there was no one to witness him, he hastily returned to the sofa and sank back down. Perhaps he was being over-attentive, he thought as he got comfortable once again. 

Even if he wasn’t, he couldn’t allow these intrusive thoughts to become a distraction. He was the King’s Champion. He swore an oath to keep his king safe from harm. The past was the past. He needed to keep his mind on his duty and nothing more.

No matter how badly he wanted it.

* * *

It took another day of riding before they reached Spikemuth. Around midday, the familiar hills and fields around Hammerlocke gradually gave way to marshy swampland. Even on the road, mud squelched and sucked at the horses’ hooves, slowing their progress. The shadows grew long and the sun hung low in the sky by the time they reached Spikemuth proper. 

Spikemuth was the most well-fortified city in the Kingdom, even including Hammerlocke. In the early years of Galar’s long history, Hammerlocke had been a tightly-kept fortress with high walls and a strict policy on visitors. As Hammerlocke expanded its borders and horizons, gradually it became more open, with traders coming and going much more frequently. Spikemuth, however, had remained largely the same. It still boasted very high walls, and had been known to completely shut down and not allow anyone in or out on occasion. This hadn’t happened in years, but as the long shadows from the short marsh trees lay across the immense walls, it was clear how easy it would be for them to shut themselves out from the rest of the world.

“So this is Spikemuth,” Raihan said, looking up at the high walls. “It certainly looks as inhospitable as the rumors indicate.”

Leon glanced at him, that eyebrow quirking back up again.

“Rumors?” he simply asked, and his question was followed by the scuffle that came with the guards on duty realizing who was coming and scrambling to open up the gate to let them in.

“I didn’t hear too many myself,” Raihan clarified. “Just tales of swampland ravaged by monsters, and citizens who didn’t take kindly to the militia’s help. But you know how much faith I put in rumors of ‘vicious’ monsters.”

“Hm, indeed,” Leon said as they neared the guards who were bowing deeply, and it could be easily seen that they were not Royal Guard, but Spikemuth militia.

Raihan watched with a sharp, but curious eye. The soldiers certainly looked rough around the edges and ready for a fight. The party passed through the gate without incident, however, and they finally made it past the high walls, into the dark city.

The streets were definitely dingy, and the buildings far more run-down than the generally well-kept Hammerlocke. Many places seemed in need of repair, and there was rubbish here and there, though it still wasn’t exactly squalor. People milled about, though most seemed to be heading home, likely due to the rapidly darkening sky. Many that saw them stopped and gawked or grinned at the King and his entourage coming down the street, though they didn’t linger too long.

Raihan kept a watchful eye, riding at Leon’s right side, scanning the thinning crowds for any sign of trouble. Among the folks that seemed to be carrying goods or just on their way home, a shady figure watched, nestled perfectly among the others, and soon slipped away. 

As they got further into the city, Raihan’s eyes caught on a black and white creature, looking much like a dog-sized raccoon, with sharp, angular stripes zig-zagging along its body. It sat calmly next to a child of no more than eight, its bright pink tongue lolling out of its mouth as it watched the entourage pass by. Before Raihan had time to process what he was looking at, a lavender bat flew past his head to perch on a man’s outstretched arm and accepted a scratch under the chin. A woman walked quickly by, a massive red centipede draped around her shoulders like a scarf. The more he looked, the more unusual creatures he saw amid the citizens of Spikemuth.

Raihan, despite all his skill and training, gave the creatures a double take and stared in shock. Was this possible? So-called _monsters_ living within a city? As pets?

Leon looked up at the sky, following the sun’s progress, and looked back down at the route they were on, heading toward the Spikemuth castle. He called to one of the guards with them.

“Jaron, you and the others ride on ahead and alert Duke Piers that we have arrived. He was not expecting us until later, we made very good time.”

The guard looked startled at this change in plan, but nodded deeply and moved to carry out Leon’s orders, the rest of their party gathering together and riding harder into the city.

Raihan’s head snapped up at the order, immediately back in the here and now. What? They hadn’t made good time at all through that swamp muck. In fact, they were running quite behind schedule. 

As the rest of the party kicked their horses into a canter and left Leon and Raihan behind, another shadowy figure darted out of the crowd and vanished down a side street. He moved his horse closer to Leon’s.

“Sire?”

“Yes, Sir Raihan?” Leon asked, “Considering your background with creatures, I assume you have some questions…”

“I… Yes, that’s true, but I have some more pressing questions at the moment.”

Leon turned his horse down a side street in a similar direction that the shady figure had gone. He took the lead, directing them further away from the area that most of the main traffic seemed to be.

“Such as, is this wise?” Raihan continued.

“This is your first time in Spikemuth, correct?” Leon spoke calmly, acting as though they were still having a normal conversation, despite the faint sound of footsteps beginning to echo around them.

“Yes, Sire,” Raihan closed his hand over the hilt of his sword. The side street narrowed around them, until it was barely wide enough for two horses, leaving little room for maneuverability. 

“I’m sure you are excited to meet Duke Piers, are you not?” His words were smooth and calm, even as the footsteps began to surround them completely.

“Of course,” Raihan’s voice was sharp and his eyes darted about the quite suddenly empty street, though he only caught glimpses of shadows passing between buildings, just out of view. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt a familiar tension rising in him, the growing anticipation right before a fight. 

Leon took a sharp left, leading them into what was soon to be revealed as a long alleyway. He paused as they came on the dead end, his expression growing more harsh for a moment before he circled his horse about to face the entrance of the alley.

“My Liege,” Raihan said, his tone tense and curt. “I strongly advise that we…”

He trailed off as a dark-clad man strode into the entrance to the alleyway, blocking their escape.

Raihan drew his sword in an instant and maneuvered his horse between Leon and the stranger.

“State your business!” Raihan ordered, his voice echoing through the empty alley.

“Yer valuables’re our business, knight,” he chuckled, “how about yeh hand ‘em over?”

Several more dark figures crowded behind the stranger, further blocking the exit. Sniggers came from the group as they all drew weapons and sneered at the two of them, clearly outnumbering them.

“You fool!” Raihan spat, sword out and ready, daring any of the marauders to get too close. His mind raced, planning out how to best keep Leon safe. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?”

“Oh, we know,” the bandit sneered, “an’ we know that if anyone’s got good shit, it’s the King an’ his knights. So how ‘bout you hand it all over?”

“You’ll hang for this!” Raihan snarled. “Assuming you live long enough to see the noose!”

He yanked on his horse’s reins and turned his alarmed horse toward the man who’d first appeared. Maybe if he took the leader out decisively and brutally, the rest of the mob would lose their nerve and back off. If not, then he could likely make a hole in their ranks long enough for Leon to escape, and then he could stay and keep the mob distracted enough to prevent them from following Leon. He raised his sword high and moved to spur his horse when a jolt of pain gave him pause.

He’d felt a single, sharp stab to his finger. He glanced at Leon just in time to see his king subtly shift his hands, replacing the needle into the band on his wrist.

A single pinprick to the tip of the index finger.

_Wait._

“What was that?” the bandit jeered as Raihan hesitated. “Something about the gallows, maybe?”

Raihan gave Leon a bewildered look. Leon’s voice was as calm as it had been earlier, and he nodded toward the bandit that had been speaking to them.

“We will comply.”

“Weapons first!” the bandit demanded, brandishing a dagger at them as the bandits all started crowding into the alleyway. There were at least ten of them in all, and they were clearly eager to obtain their spoils. “And down off those pretty ponies ‘o yers!”

Raihan glowered, but didn’t resist as his sword was taken from him and he was forced to dismount. He looked back at Leon, desperate for some kind of explanation, but was only met by his usual calm, cold expression. Despite every instinct in him screaming against it, Raihan followed Leon’s lead and let his valuables and horse be taken from him.

Why? Why had Leon sent the rest of their guard and escort away? Why had he surrendered? And why the _hell_ did he look so calm about it? The bandits could decide at any minute to kill them both and escape with their stolen loot.

“I’d heard the King was a fighter himself,” one bandit jeered as they were loading their stolen goods onto the horses, “but I guess those rumors were rubbish!”

Leon’s expression stayed the same, even as the bandits laughed among themselves. Once their laughter had died down, he took a deep breath and let out a very loud whistle. The sound echoed through the crooked streets, and made the bandit leader look at him with confusion.

“What the hell…?” he mused before he shook his head. “C’mon lads, let’s start gettin’ this all gathered up so we can get the hell outta this shitty town…”

“Oi! What’s all this, then?” A burly man with very little hair shouted from the opposite end of the alley.

“We’ve been robbed!” Leon suddenly yelled back, “they took our weapons and horses!”

“Yer Majesty!?” The burly man gasped, then put two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle that ended in a clear, musical trill. “Oi, we got bandits on Cobble Street!!!”

Every muscle in Raihan’s body tensed. He could make good on the distraction and grab a sword off the nearest bandit and— 

_Wait._

The prick to his finger came once again and Raihan looked at Leon in shock. Leon met his eyes, his intense gaze reinforcing the unspoken order.

“Get out of here!” the head bandit snarled at the burly man, “or we’ll make you regret it!”

The bandits scrambled as they all tried to get out of the alley at once, causing a jumbled mess of bandits and horses. A waist-high fox with distinct black markings hopped off the roof of a building and into the alleyway, darting past Leon and Raihan. Its lips curled back and it snarled at the bandits, triangle ears folded backward as it leapt forward and sank its teeth into a bandit’s leg.

Only another second passed before a whole pack of black and white weasels, easily as large as the giant fox, scrambled out into the street, snarling and snapping as they clambered over themselves to get to the bandits. Behind them were people, ordinary townsfolk of Spikemuth who appeared to have grabbed anything even remotely useful for a fight, most armed with hoes, kitchen knives, or rice flails as they fearlessly surged toward the bandit mob.

Leon moved to stand closer to Raihan as the citizens of Spikemuth took on the bandits with the help of the fierce-looking creatures. A voice pierced through the chaos, accompanied by the sound of hoofbeats.

“King Leon!!” 

Duke Piers rode astride a dappled mare with a black mane, panic on his features and a ranseur in one hand. He let out a sharp whistle, similar to the one the burly man had made, but a different pitch. An enormous furry badger-like creature, easily the size of a man, came whipping around the corner, barrelling headlong into the fight. Its long tongue lolled about as it easily tossed bandits aside, giving Piers a clear path to the King and knight. Piers spurred his horse on, fighting his way through the bandits toward Leon and Raihan.

Raihan stood his ground amid the chaos around them, more than ready to fight back if the battle moved too close to himself and Leon, but the wide variety of monstrous creatures in the fray kept the fight away from them. 

Piers’ horse reared up only a bit as he brought her to a stop right beside the two and immediately slid off of her back. He wore a much finer outfit than anyone else they’d seen in Spikemuth so far, though it was rumpled from the horse ride.

“Your Majesty!” he said frantically, “are you injured?!”

“I am not,” Leon replied calmly, a stark contrast to Piers’ distraught tone.

“Please stay back,” Piers pleaded, turning back toward the chaos, “we’ll take care of this mess.”

Leaving his horse near them, he strode confidently back into the fray.

The Spikemuth citizens fought fiercely and enthusiastically, but were clearly untrained. Duke Piers, however, was an exception. He moved through the fight like water, wielding his ranseur effortlessly and with brutal efficiency. His long ponytail of black and silvery streaks of grey lashed about in the chaos, adding to the spectacle of his graceful fighting. The large badger with stark black and white fur howled as Piers met it in the chaos, the chilling battle cry rattling through the walls and windowpanes. The two worked in tandem, leaving no room for error, even within the close quarters pandemonium.

Raihan’s eyes followed Piers’ deadly dance, shocked at the skill the Duke displayed. He stayed close to Leon, fists at the ready, but once again, the battle never came close enough to them for Raihan to engage. Snarls, shouts, screams, and howls filled the street before silence finally fell with the last of the bandits. 

Once things had quieted down to only the Spikemuth people congratulating each other and all the creatures that had come to their aid, Piers strode over to the two of them, immediately dropping to his knees before Leon. He laid his ranseur down across his lap, blood still coated on its metal tips.

“King Leon,” his firm voice quickly silenced all other talking going on, “I offer you my sincerest apologies that you were put in danger within Spikemuth’s walls. I am so relieved that you are safe.”

“Thank you,” Leon replied, “you and your citizens saw to it that I was saved. So I must in turn offer you my gratitude.”

“I will endeavor to do all I can to make this up to you, your Majesty,” Piers said, voice much quieter now, his head bowed deeply.

Raihan stood silently beside Leon and watched the exchange carefully. Leon’s whistle had initiated the fight, in a way. Did he know the Duke would come to his rescue?

“There is nothing to atone for, Duke Piers,” Leon said firmly. “I saw some great heroic acts today from your people and yourself. And I do not intend to let that pass by unnoticed.”

Piers dipped into an even deeper bow, bending over his ranseur’s staff.

“Thank you, your Majesty. Truly, you are a benevolent leader.”

“I appreciate the compliment, Duke Piers. Please, rise. All is well.”

Piers let out a deep, soft sigh, slowly getting to his feet. He still held his weapon, and he moved about with it so naturally, it may as well have been attached to him.

“You did not arrive at your scheduled time, which is odd for you, your Majesty,” Piers said quietly, “and once your escort arrived with your ah… conspicuously incorrect message, I thought something might be wrong, so I rode out to try and meet you… and then I heard the whistle.”

Leon nodded to him, still speaking at a normal volume, and it was clear that the citizens that weren’t clearing out the mess were listening in.

“When we ended up in danger, I sent out the alert whistle, as you had taught me, Duke Piers,” Leon said smoothly.

“Th-that’s when I came runnin’!” the burly man piped in. “An’ I sounded the alarm whistle, Piers!”

Piers turned to regard the man, giving him a nod, though also a stern look.

“O-oh, er, _Duke_ Piers.”

Leon stepped forward, moving to address the citizens still present. All of them dropped into hasty bows, and the burly man averted his eyes, looking flustered.

“The Crown owes you all a great debt this day… if not for your help, things could have turned out very poorly.” He nodded to the group. “Thank you.”

“T’weren’t nothin’, yer Royal Kingship, Sir,” he said, and a toothy grin split his wide face. “We know you’re a good king. Even though we’re out in the middle of our swamp, y’always make an effort to come an’ see us.”

“You are all part of my Kingdom and people,” Leon said firmly, “and you deserve just as much attention and care as everyone else. I will be sure to reward Spikemuth for the bravery of its citizens.” He looked over as the burly, furry creature that Piers had commanded rushed toward them. “...and its less human citizens, as well.”

The creature bolted past the others and stopped abruptly in front of Piers, making an excited, slightly muffled noise. Its tongue wasn’t lolling this time, and Piers stepped forward to stroke its head.

“Good job, Goon,” he murmured quietly, then frowned, “ah, Goon, you’ve got a— oh no— gods—” Piers fumbled as the creature happily plopped a couple severed fingers down in front of him, an absolutely triumphant look on its face. Piers contained a grimace which he turned into an exasperated smile, scratching the creature under the chin.

“....thanks for the gift, darlin’… you did good.”

Raihan, despite the gruesome nature of Goon’s gift, fought to hide a smile.

Leon finally stepped aside, regarding Raihan.

“Duke Piers, I believe this is the first you’ll have met my new Champion Raihan?” he said, gesturing to Raihan. “And Sir Raihan, as you have no doubt surmised, this is Duke Piers of Spikemuth.”

“O-oh, er,” Piers stammered, looking at Raihan, then gave him a respectful nod as he pulled away from the excited creature still trying to lick his face. “A pleasure, Champion Raihan.”

Raihan returned the nod with a shallow bow.

“A pleasure indeed, Duke Piers. Allow me to offer my own gratitude for your assistance, and the assistance of your companion.”

His eyes darted over to Goon, who was lazily scratching an itch behind his ear. Piers followed Raihan’s gaze, then looked back at him.

“We were glad to give it,” he replied, and gave another soft whistle. Goon perked up and moved out of the alley to stand at attention near Piers’ mare. 

Piers led the way out of the alleyway, and thanked two women with short-cropped hair as they approached Leon and Raihan with their weapons and horses.

“Here yeh are, Majesty,” one said to Leon, giving him a deep nod.

“Thank you,” Leon said, affixing his sword and shield onto their places on his back.

“Shall we head to the castle, your Majesty?” Piers asked as he nimbly hopped back up onto his horse. “Dinner will be nearly finished by the time we arrive.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Leon said, climbing back onto his own steed.

Raihan relaxed considerably with his sword back at his side, and mounted his horse. He kept close to Leon’s side as Piers led the way back to the castle. His eyes stayed sharp, but the ride back to the castle was set to be uneventful.

Inevitably, his eyes and thoughts strayed to Goon, the massive badger monster that lumbered beside Piers. It was mostly bipedal, but occasionally dropped to all fours to keep up with the horses. As they walked, Goon occasionally looked up at Piers with the same eager adoration as any loyal hound. Raihan had heard of the monsters of Spikemuth, but he’d _never_ heard that they lived within the city walls, among the citizens, as tame as any other animal. True, he’d just been treated to a first-hand demonstration of how dangerous they could be, but couldn’t the same be said of any ordinary guarddog? Monsters and humans, living together. It was everything he’d dreamed of.

He had a thousand questions, but held his tongue.

Piers was first to break the quiet ride, looking over at Leon with a curious expression as they rode along at a brisk trot. 

“King Leon, if I may ask… why were you so deep in the south side of the city? And without your escort…”

Leon’s voice was quiet, not passing beyond Piers’ and Raihan’s ears.

“I do apologize… you know that my sense of direction isn’t the best. And this was Raihan’s first time in Spikemuth, so we got a bit turned around.”

“A-ah, yes, of course,” Piers said with a nod. “...I’m glad we were able to find an’ help you, then.”

“As am I,” Leon said.

An excited cry came from Goon, who peeled off from the horses to stop at a water trough that was sitting out in front of an inn. Piers brought his horse to a halt immediately, and Leon and Raihan followed suit.

“E-er, it’ll jus’ be a minute,” Piers said, tugging on a necklace he wore, “he hasn’t been in a scuff like that for a while.”

Goon drank from the trough vigorously and messily, finally stopping to gasp for air. He bounded back toward the three of them, his tongue lolling again as he excitedly regarded all three of them on their horses. Piers tugged at his necklace again, making a soft crooning noise that instantly calmed the beast down a bit.

“S-sorry ‘bout him,” Piers said, his expression guarded, “I can send him on ahead if he’s makin’ you two uncomfortable…”

Raihan shook his head.

“I don’t mind at all, Duke Piers. I actually grew up in a small village with a number of unusual creatures nearby,” he said, then glanced at Leon.

“I am familiar with Goon,” Leon said, regarding Goon with a look when the creature reacted to his name being said, “he’s fine.”

Piers relaxed considerably, giving them both a nod as they started for the castle again, with Goon loping alongside them.

“Thank you… you both are far more understanding of him than most from outside Spikemuth.”

“He’s magnificent,” Raihan reiterated. “How did you come by him?”

Piers looked startled by Raihan’s description of Goon, who was still dripping wet from his brief time at the trough.

“He’s been by my side for many years. I’ve raised him since he was very small… but we met while out in th’ swamps.”

“He’s incredibly well trained,” Raihan noted.

“A-ah, yes,” Piers said, once more tugging on his necklace, “the creatures respond well t’ certain sounds, especially if rewarded for it. Most of the creatures I’ve come across like my voice, fer some reason…”

“Duke Piers has a wonderful voice,” Leon offered plainly.

A flush came to Piers’ pale cheeks and he tossed some of his long bangs over his face.

“I’d appreciate if y’didn’t embarrass me in front’ve yer new Champion, Majesty.”

Raihan’s smile only widened.

“You seem to be a man of many talents,” Raihan said. “I was quite impressed by your skill in battle.”

Duke Piers seemed quite embarrassed by the praise and still refused to look at them.

“Thank you, Champion Raihan,” he said, and cleared his throat as they neared the castle gates. “Oh look, we’re here.”

The rest of their company met them just inside the gates, and Piers only gave a few orders before he seemed exhausted by it, and let the castle staff do their jobs without prompting.

“Sounds like dinner’s ready in the great hall,” he said as he led them into the castle proper, gesturing to a set of double doors within the entrance area. “There’s a washroom just past here on the right if yeh wanna wash up beforehand.”

“That sounds lovely,” Leon said, “thank you, Duke Piers.”

With that, he set off at a fairly brisk pace, heading confidently down the hallway past the great hall. About three-quarters of the way there, Leon’s steps slowed slightly. A frown found his face, and his eyes roamed along the walls as if trying to decipher them.

Raihan slowed beside him and gave him a curious look.

“Sire?”

Leon looked at him, giving him the frown that he was making.

“...the washroom. Duke Piers said it was… near here.”

“Yes, Sire. Just down the hall, he said,” Raihan said, his confusion growing. Sure, they’d had to turn two corners in the tight halls of Spikemuth’s compact castle, but they just needed to keep walking until they found a door.

“...right,” Leon said, and kept walking. Soon the washroom door was in sight, and Leon made as if to walk right past it.

“...Sire?” Raihan asked, slowing to a stop.

Leon stopped and turned to look at him, still frowning.

“...Sir Raihan. Is there a problem? If so… perhaps you should help correct it.”

Raihan stared at him, puzzling through the oddly cryptic words before it clicked. Gods. Leon hadn’t been exaggerating to Piers. After all these years, Leon’s sense of direction was as bad as when he was a child. Raihan’s eyes lit up with understanding and he gave a shallow nod.

“The wash room is right here, Your Majesty,” Raihan said, gesturing to the door. 

“Thank you,” Leon said quietly, and moved to enter the room first.

Leon let out a sigh as he splashed water on his face, cleaning off some of the grime of travel from their long day. Raihan followed suit, and thoroughly washed his face and hands, lamenting that he didn’t have enough time to change out of his armor and clean up properly. At least the Duke seemed like a practical-minded man, and likely wouldn’t be offended if Raihan was still grimy from the long journey.

Leon mostly cleaned what exposed skin there was, freshening up his face, and re-tied his hair back. Upon finishing, he turned back toward Raihan.

“Are you ready to go to dinner? The Spikemuth dishes are generally simple, but filling.”

“Yes, Sire,” Raihan said, but hesitated before opening the door for him. “Your Majesty, if I may… Why? Why did you stop me from engaging in the fight?”

“Stop you from taking on thirteen bandits by yourself?” Leon smoothly asked.

“I wouldn’t have _been_ by myself if you hadn’t sent the rest of the escort on without us,” Raihan countered.

“And had them needlessly lose their lives when the bandits jumped us?” Leon said calmly, “they would have taken the guards out first to get to me. With our fewer numbers, they were far less daunted, and focused on intimidation instead.”

Raihan chewed on his bottom lip as he thought it over.

“You must have seen the scouts in the crowd like I did,” Raihan said slowly, “so you surrendered before the fight ever started to save lives.”

“Correct,” Leon said simply.

“If you knew there was going to be an ambush, why walk into it? Why not keep the escort and just avoid the ambush altogether?” Raihan asked.

Leon paused, considering Raihan a moment.

“For one, I have seen you fight, and heard of your achievements in the militia. If I had asked it of you, I have no doubt that you could have fought off those ill-trained bandits. For another, the people of Spikemuth have been in rather low spirits as of late… they are perhaps a bit brash, rough around the edges… but they’re good people. I knew they would come to our aid. And what is more heartening to know that you helped save your King from certain danger?”

“I suppose,” Raihan said slowly, but he wasn’t convinced. Was it really worth the risk of a citizen getting killed to raise morale? 

Leon seemed to read his thoughts, watching his expression closely.

“Spikemuth is notoriously reluctant to accept charity from the Crown, despite my efforts to help them. They are a very proud people, and you have seen firsthand how they prefer to keep order in their city. A reward, however… that, they will accept far more readily.”

Raihan’s eyes widened in understanding. “So if they’ve been reluctant to accept funds from the Crown, even if they need it…”

Leon nodded.

“I wanted to give them an opportunity to be worthy to receive such a reward. Again… I have no doubt that we could have handled that situation on our own. However, Spikemuth needed the credit for its quelling more than you or I.”

Raihan looked at Leon, impressed.

“That is exceedingly clever, Sire.”

Leon looked unsure of how to accept the compliment, and merely shrugged, turning toward the door.

“It is how I must think, as King. Consider as many outcomes as possible, with the highest benefit for the most people.”

Raihan turned this new information over in his head, genuinely impressed at Leon’s foresight, and followed him out the door.

“Ah, Your Majesty,” he said quickly as Leon started walking the wrong direction. “This way.”

“Hm,” Leon toned quietly, pausing and letting Raihan walk closer to his right side, “thank you.”

“Of course, Sire,” Raihan said, and led him back to the dining hall.

Raihan was eager to eat and get to bed, mulling over the evening’s revelations. The King that planned four steps ahead to help a province refusing aid was a far cry different from the Prince that continuously lost games of Hawks and Hares due to his impatience. Leon had never been stupid, but at some point in the last ten years he’d become clever and as sharp as his cutting eyes. As Raihan cleaned up and settled into bed, feeling more secure in the Spikemuth fortress than in the royal estate, he stared up at the ceiling and wondered what else had changed in the past decade.

* * *

The next morning saw them inspecting the elevated silos where Spikemuth kept their stores of rice, one of the few resources the swampy region produced for Galar. They walked silo to silo, Leon conversing with the Spikemuth Grainmaster and two of the royal scribes as they discussed storage, poor weather, and the recent bought of flooding that had affected rice production.

Raihan was bored stiff.

He followed slightly behind Leon, giving his King and the scribes space so they could carry on with their business. He instead focused on looking for potential threats. As news of the ambush last night had spread, however, all of Spikemuth seemed to have banded together to drive out any potential marauder, and the streets were calm and peaceful.

With no danger about, Raihan found his eyes drawn to the marvelous creatures that accompanied the citizens of Spikemuth: more of the black and white weasels, giant foxes, orange lizards with shedding skins that hung off their legs like trousers, and even a majestic, stunningly purple leopard. Raihan gasped at a hoarse, grating screech that came from the sky, and looked up to see a gargantuan raven fly overhead, large enough for a person to ride like a steed. It landed on the stout castle walls and began to preen, its black feathers shimmering with a metallic gleam.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” came Duke Piers’ voice suddenly beside him.

Raihan flinched, so distracted by the massive raven that he didn’t notice the Duke sidling up next to him.

“Yes, it is,” Raihan said, looking back at the raven. “Majestic.”

“Still haven’t managed t’get that one ta like me yet,” Piers said, lament clear in his tone. “Though it keeps comin’ back, so there’s still hope.”

“If it keeps returning, there must be something here it enjoys,” Raihan said. “Even if it just likes the safe perch of the castle walls.”

“Agreed,” Piers said, falling silent a while to just watch the enormous bird preen. He spoke again as the discussion with Leon and the scribes picked back up.

“Yeh seem far more interested in the monsters than most folk that come ‘round,” he said, now observing Raihan in favor of the bird.

“I grew up in a little village called Clearfield,” Raihan said. “It sits right on the edge of the Fairy Forest, and all kinds of strange creatures come out of that. The only other children my age were farm kids, and they were busy working the fields with their families, so I spent a lot of time exploring the edge of the woods alone. I got to know many of the creatures there.”

A small smile pulled at his lips.

“Even a dragon or two.”

Piers raised an eyebrow at him, though a smile pulled at his lips.

“That so, Champion?” he said, “never seen a dragon up close, myself. But I think I’m okay with that.”

“They’re a fair bit smarter than most monsters,” Raihan said. “And they definitely have opinions of their own. I was lucky enough to find one that did a good job of pulling me out of trouble.”

“Lucky indeed,” Piers mused aloud, and his gaze drifted back toward the huge raven. “...do you have any monsters bonded t’you? ...from my time in Hammerlocke, it doesn’t seem as though they’d like that much…”

“Apart from the dragon that took a shine to me, no,” Raihan said, and looked over at a little girl walking passed, a blue scorpion-like creature perched comfortably on her shoulder. “I’ve never seen anywhere like this. I didn’t even know living with monsters like this was possible.”

Piers watched the preening creature in silence for a moment before he spoke.

“...things have always been pretty harsh here in Spikemuth… weather, terrain, and so forth… So over time, we learned how t’at least alleviate one of those hazards: the monsters. Once we figured out how t’bond with ‘em… well… they started stickin’ around. And helpin’ us when we needed it. Like your dragon friend.”

“That’s incredible. This whole place is incredible,” Raihan said. “I have so many questions…”

A smile again tugged at the side of Piers’ lips.

“Well, I can’t see rice gettin’ any more interestin’ anytime soon…” He looked over at Leon with the scribes again before returning his small smile to Raihan. “I might be tempted to hear a few of those many questions y’have.” 

“Good thing we have all day,” Raihan said with a smile. “Do all the creatures here come wild from the swamp? Do you seek them out, or do they come to you?”

“A lot of them are local,” Piers said with a nod, “though occasionally people bring some home with ‘em if they bond with one while they’re out elsewhere in the kingdom. I haven’ spent much time near the Fairy Forest… what sort of creatures live there?”

Before Raihan could answer, a familiar cry rang out, and Goon came barrelling toward them. He had something strapped to his back, it looked like a small quiver with a lid. Piers shot Raihan an apologetic look as he stepped to greet the eager badger.

“Don’t be disruptin’ the King, darlin’,” he said, stroking the creature’s head. “You got a letter for me?”

Goon nodded enthusiastically and turned his back to Piers, which meant his face ended up right near Raihan’s chest. He panted happily up at Raihan, tongue hanging out lazily as Piers opened the container on his back and pulled out a letter.

“You’ve trained them as messengers!” Raihan scratched Goon behind his pointed ears. “Brilliant! They can even hunt down a specific individual!”

Piers smiled as he opened up the rolled up letter.

“Yes, Goon is very helpful, when he’s able to focus on his task and not food.”

Goon seemed to recognize the praise, nuzzling against Raihan’s hand, and started getting a good whiff of him, not unlike a dog would. Piers quickly read the letter as Goon eagerly sniffed Raihan. It wasn’t hard for Raihan to get the hint, and he scratched Goon more vigorously behind the ears and down his long, muscular neck. The creature let out a growling sort of purr, wagging its small tail vigorously.

Piers chuckled as he rolled the letter back up and stashed it in a pouch on his waist.

“He sure likes you. Doesn’t always warm up to people this quick.”

“I’m glad,” Raihan glanced over at the letter Piers tucked away. “Anything urgent?”

“Nah,” Piers shook his head, “it’s from my little sister Marnie. She knows how bored I get during inspections, so she sent me a note.” His smile grew warm, and he unconsciously touched the note in his pouch. “She’s always lookin’ out for me.”

“How considerate of her,” Raihan said, and needed to solidify his stance as Goon leaned heavily against him. Goon licked up toward his face, barely able to reach it with Raihan’s height.

“C’mon now, Goon, stop smotherin’ him,” Piers said, and Goon whined reluctantly. 

“Aw, he’s alright,” Raihan said. “I don’t mind. So, to answer your question, most of the creatures I grew up with were monstrous plants and bugs…” 

Raihan spent the rest of the afternoon sharing stories and learning from Piers. He took in everything Piers taught him eagerly, absorbing information like a sponge, and when the time at last came for them to leave Spikemuth, Raihan did so with a touch of sorrow that he had to leave such a wondrous city behind.


	8. The Long Cold - Chapter 4

The rest of the inspections went smoothly, with no further incidents as they traveled to Galar’s other provinces before at last returning to Hammerlocke. The annual inspections concluded at last, it was back to business as usual.

“If you’d _just_ let me have a teeny bit more control over the west part of Circhester, I’m sure I could get you much more ore to work with, your Maje—”

“ _Mother,_ we’ve been through this over and over. The western half is my jurisdiction, and perhaps you should focus on your _own_ output instead of mine!”

This unfortunately meant that it was back to listening to nobles bicker with one another over petty disputes. Raihan stood against the wall behind Leon, dressed in his more casual leather armor today, and wishing he was anywhere else. His services weren’t necessarily required in the heavily guarded Council Room, and Raihan usually watched over Hop during the long council meetings. Today, however, Leon had requested he stay at his side during the meeting, though Raihan couldn’t imagine why. So far it had been nearly a full forty-five minutes of Count Gordie and Countess Melony arguing over ownership of Chirchester, and nothing had been accomplished.

“Cease this bickering!” Steward Rose finally ordered, silencing the two of them. “The internal boundaries of Chirchester are not up for debate in this meeting today, and we have other matters of importance to discuss. With the inspections completed, you should have each received your proposed annual budgets. The purpose of this meeting is to finalize those budgets.”

The room was immediately filled with voices, all trying to talk over each other and argue why they needed more funds from the Crown. The only two who held their silence were Duke Milo and Duke Piers.

Leon let the clamor continue for a few minutes before he raised a hand. Everyone quickly fell silent, and he looked around at all of them.

“The treasurer and I have worked hard on this budget. I realize that everyone has needs, and if you feel yours outweigh the budget given, please speak up. One at a time.”

“If I may,” Oleana, Duchess of Motostoke interjected first, “Motostoke has been expanding significantly this last year, and the current proposed budget is barely more than it was last year!”

Rose nodded. “The refineries and craftworkers from Motostoke do provide a substantial amount of goods that help Galar. I would hate to leave them empty handed.”

“True,” Leon said smoothly, “however, Motostoke also does a lot of its business internally, and has quite the thriving economy within the city. You used taxation funds within the last year to build the new refinery that has been bringing in significant revenue, did you not?”

“W-well, yes,” Oleana stammered.

“The proposed budget for Motostoke will stand as-is,” Leon said. “If you find you need aid during the year, feel free to submit a request to me for it.”

In the slight lull that followed, both Duchesses Nessa and Bea opened their mouths, but Bea was quicker, standing from her seat and speaking calmly but firmly.

“If I may,” Bea said, her face as somber as ever, “our newest surveys show that the recent cave in of the West Mines is more extensive than previously anticipated. This will severely cut into Stow-on-Side’s production as we take time to assess the damage, and safely repair the mineshafts.”

“Ah yes,” Leon said with a nod, “that had just occurred when we arrived for our inspection there. I am sad to hear that it is worse than we originally thought.”

“I thought cave-ins were accounted for within the usual yearly budget,” Rose said.

“True,” Bea replied, “but this is on a scale much larger than we’ve seen in almost thirty years. This isn’t just a result of rock shifting that has blocked one or two shafts. This was the result of an earthquake that collapsed a full third of the West Mines.”

“W-were there many injured?” Duke Milo chimed in worriedly. “Surely we can spare some aid for Stow-on-Side…”

“Yes,” Leon agreed, giving Milo a nod, “we most certainly can. There is a yearly portion of the Hammerlocke budget that is set aside for instances when provinces require unprecedented aid in light of circumstances such as these. We will happily offer up these funds to you in order to help you and your people in your time of distress. There will be no need to dip into your proposed yearly budget, Duchess Bea.”

Bea bowed and took her seat.

Duchess Nessa rose to speak next, but was promptly interrupted.

“Well _I_ have some concerns!” Countess Melony proclaimed.

_I bet you do,_ Raihan thought sourly. Duchess Nessa’s expression showed she shared the same thought, but took her seat to let the Countess of East Chirchester have her say.

“This is a laughable amount! If you expect me to maintain both mining and logging operations in the North Mountains, providing ore and lumber to _all of Galar,_ I might add, I’m going to need a substantially larger amount!”

“Just ore,” Gordie growled through gritted teeth. “I thought we decided that you were going to focus on the mines and let your forests recover, while _I_ continued logging operations this year. We agreed on this!”

“Well, I don’t see why I should deprive Galar of the resources it needs just because you want a monopoly on lumber,” she huffed.

“I don’t—” Gordie made an exasperated sound. “This was _your_ idea!”

“Your _Majesty,_ ” Nessa finally interrupted, standing up and planting one hand firmly on the table, “there are _some_ members of this Council that continue to receive consideration, despite their affairs being addressed the most frequently!”

Countess Melony let out a magnificent huff, but Duke Piers nodded in agreement.

“Indeed,” he murmured quietly, and Nessa gestured vaguely toward him.

“ _Indeed,_ ” she reiterated, and then gestured to Duke Milo, who jumped. “Wouldn’t you agree, Duke Milo? You rarely speak up at meetings, I imagine you have things to say, too!”

Milo was shaking his head before she finished speaking, waving his hands. 

“N-no, no, that’s—,” he stammered, his face turning a bit red, “K-King Leon and I already discussed Turffield’s budget during his visit, I’m perfectly happy with what we were granted!...”

“You know that Duke Milo is a man of few words, Duchess Nessa,” Piers said quietly, “feel free to say your own piece.”

“Thank you, Duke Piers,” Nessa said, tossing her hair before continuing. “Negotiations with the merfolk went well this year, they have been very receptive to our cooperation, and we’re bringing in even more fish than last year. However, our ability to trade with other kingdoms across the sea is seriously lacking. In order to do this, we’d need more ships, more people to crew them… many things that the current budget for Hulbury is not substantial enough to provide.”

“Perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement,” Rose said. “I’m sure we can locate some funds to secure such valuable and necessary trade for Galar. For instance, Spikemuth has a remarkably high budget this year for a province that provides little more than rice and bad weather…” 

Duke Piers let out a soft sigh. He looked like he’d been expecting this, and slipped his long hair over one shoulder as he turned toward Steward Rose.

“Spikemuth is in dire need of some renovations, Steward Rose,” Piers said calmly, “I brought these concerns to King Leon during our inspection, and was exceedingly grateful to see that he wished for us to be able to complete them. Spikemuth’s people need—”

“A good lick of common sense,” Rose scowled. “Why should the taxpayers of Galar pay for Spikemuth’s renovations, when the people of Spikemuth made the decision to build in the middle of a swamp?”

Piers’ normally calm expression sharpened, and his voice rose.

“Perhaps the taxpayers of Galar would like to go without the rice we produce, as we are the sole producers of it in the kingdom. That, and the Spikemuth Moonshine that I _know_ is exported all over the kingdom, despite you wanting to pretend it isn’t just because you think it’s vile, _Steward._ ”

“What is vile, Duke Piers, is the fact that your people keep those _foul_ beasts in your homes! Is that why Spikemuth is in such disrepair? Because you are so foolish as to invite destructive monsters in your doors?”

Piers’ tone rose further, his words cutting as he glared at Rose.

“If we are discussing the topic of foul beasts, then I should question why you are still here in the castle, Steward, continuing to pollute the Council with your disgusting opinions on how _citizens of Galar_ should be treated!”

Raihan raised his eyebrows. He’d never seen a council meeting get this heated. There was always bickering, to be sure, but never anything like this. Fury flashed through Piers’ eyes, and his fingers twitched, as if yearning for his ranseur he’d left outside the council chamber. Though Piers’ insult was serious, Rose was very much out of line. Despite his personal dislike of the Steward, Raihan had to admit that the man usually had excellent control over himself, and he’d never heard of him getting so infuriated. Rose’s face flushed a dark red and looked like he might start foaming at the mouth at any moment.

“How _dare_ you, you disgraceful beast loving—”

“That is _enough._ ”

Leon’s voice sharply interrupted Rose, and everyone once again fell silent. The tension was palpable as everyone looked to the King, who’s golden eyes were more cold than usual. He stared at the opposite wall in favor of any one person, however, and he finally spoke again a good thirty seconds later.

“Duke Piers, I understand your frustrations with Steward Rose’s comments, though I ask that you refrain from personal insults.”

Piers nodded deeply, not looking the slightest bit contrite.

“I apologize, your Majesty.”

“And Steward Rose, I am appalled at your remarks regarding Spikemuth and its citizens. They are a part of Galar as much as any of us, and deserve due respect. Regardless of where they live or what personal practices they have.”

“Of course, your Majesty,” Rose said with a shallow nod.

“As for the actual matter we are here to discuss,” Leon said curtly, “I would like to bring to your attention the Spikemuth budget for the last two years prior to this one. They have not received nearly as much as the rest, despite needing renovations and general aid all during that time. I wish for all my subjects to have a chance at a comfortable life, no matter where they are living.”

“Sire, it was my understanding that the people of Spikemuth are insulted by offers of charity,” Rose quickly said.

“You are quite right,” Leon smoothly replied, “however, they will have no qualms with me rewarding them for the heroics of their Duke.”

Rose flushed a little, the story of the heroics of Duke Piers and the people of Spikemuth having spread all the way to Hammerlocke.

“I owe Duke Piers my life,” Leon stated plainly, “and as he has waited patiently to receive a higher budget in favor of other cities, I see no issue with the current proposed budget for Spikemuth. Unless there are any objections?”

The council, for the first time Raihan had ever seen, was silent in reply.

“Good.” 

Leon let a moment pass in silence before he continued.

“As for the matter of trade from Hulbury’s harbor, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, Duchess Nessa. However, I would like more time to plan out the trade routes we’d like to use and discuss the best course of action with those who have traveled much beyond our borders.” He fixed Nessa with his cold gaze. “Will you begin gathering those you feel would be the most resourceful in this matter so that we can plan ahead to increase our trade next year?”

Nessa nodded, looking satisfied with his response.

“Yes, your Majesty.”

Leon stood up, and the others hustled to do the same. “Then I believe this meeting is at an end. If you have any further concerns, I will hear them in the usual fashion and time frame. Thank you for coming.”

Without another word, he turned to leave the room and Raihan fell easily into step beside him. As they walked, it dawned on Raihan what he’d seen. Walking into the ambush, sending the escort away, letting Piers and Spikemuth get the glory for his rescue (and not to mention ridding the town of some bandits), was all of it leading up to this council meeting?

“Your Majesty,” Raihan said slowly once they were finally alone in the halls. “Was this your plan from the beginning? From the ambush?”

“Hm?” Leon snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Raihan, his steps slowing from his brisk pace. “Ah… yes, I had hoped that I would get this outcome. Spikemuth has been in need of more funds for too long, and Duke Piers always has to fight tooth and nail to get what they are already given.”

Raihan stared at him a moment, amazed at his forethought. This was the man who had bartered peace with Kalos after a rogue assassin killed his parents, who quelled the bickering between dutchies from threats of violence to mild squabbling, who heralded in a reign of peace like Galar had never seen. This was _his_ Leon.

He looked at Leon’s golden eyes, cold, even now, and wondered what price he’d paid to make it happen.

“Very impressive, Sire,” he said quietly, and nothing more.

“Thank you, Sir Raihan,” came his soft reply.

It wasn’t long before the two of them reached Leon’s quarters, though they were met with Kabu, who was standing dutifully alongside Camilla near Leon’s door, waiting for them.

“Sir Kabu?” Leon questioned as they neared him, “is something the matter?”

“Sir Philip has unfortunately come down with a cold,” Kabu replied, standing at attention, “so I have come to be his replacement. It seems the council meeting ran long this evening.”

“Unfortunately yes, it did. It is also unfortunate that Philip will not be able to make it tonight. I hope for him to get well soon.”

Kabu nodded.

“I’m sure he will. He was mostly concerned with your health, Majesty, and did not wish for you to also catch cold.”

“How thoughtful of him.”

Raihan looked between them and his brow knotted in concern.

“You will stand guard all night, Sir Kabu?” he asked.

Kabu nodded, turning his attention to Raihan.

“Yes, this was once part of my duties. I am no stranger to watching over the King as he rests.”

“Yes, but…” Raihan hesitated. He knew that, as King’s Champion, he now outranked the former Champion turned Captain of the Guard, but it still felt wrong contradicting Kabu. “I do not doubt your abilities, Sir Kabu, but…”

Kabu frowned slightly, though his dark eyes were still as warm as ever.

“Well, then… what do you propose, Champion Raihan? All other guards that are trusted with this post are otherwise occupied or off for the evening.” 

“I’m perfectly capable of taking the night watch,” Raihan said without hesitation. It would be far from the first time he’d worked such long hours, and he’d do anything to save Kabu unnecessary hardship.

“Hm,” Kabu considered him for a moment. “Well, if you insist… That would be quite a long night to add onto an already long day…”

“I’ll be fine, Sir Kabu, thank you. So long as I’m allowed to sleep tomorrow morning and someone is able to protect the King in my place…”

He glanced at Leon for approval. Leon nodded slightly, and looked at Kabu.

“I am fine with Sir Raihan taking over for Philip, as he seems quite insistent to do so.”

“All right then,” Kabu said, shaking his head a little as a small smile came to his face. “I shall take my leave, and see you in the morning, your Majesty.”

“Rest well, Sir Kabu,” Leon responded.

“And you, my King,” Kabu said, giving him a deep bow and Raihan a grateful nod before he left, just slightly jogging down the hallway.

Raihan sighed, relieved at the thought that old Kabu would be able to take his rest instead of pushing himself to stay up all night when Raihan was perfectly capable of doing so. He turned sharply on his heel and took the position in the corridor typically held by the second night guard, protecting the door to Leon’s suite.

Leon turned to head inside, pausing to consider Raihan in the hall.

“Sir Raihan, please come help me with my hair before taking your post out here,” he said quietly. “It is late enough that my manservant has gone home.”

“Of course, Sire,” Raihan said. 

He nodded once to Camilla, who gave him a nod in return, then followed Leon into the sitting room. Leon hung his wool-lined cape in its usual place, beginning to remove his outermost layers.

“Does staying up all night tax you?” he asked, unbuttoning his fine red coat, handling the golden buttons with care.

“Not particularly,” Raihan said, standing at attention. “If I were to continue into the following day, then yes. Staying up longer than twenty-four hours and still performing at my full capacity is difficult.”

“I can imagine,” Leon said, hanging his coat up in his closet, then removing the beautifully crafted crown from his head and putting it into the locked compartment within the closet. He then set about removing the light chainmail he wore under his coat. “Were you asked to do so while you were in the militia?”

“Many times, yes,” he said. “Staying on alert in a high-risk area, marching for days on end to reach an urgent destination… I think my record is five days.”

Leon looked at him with slightly wide eyes, picking up his brush without looking.

“Five days? That can _not_ be healthy…”

That look of mild surprise and the inflection of shock in his voice was the most emotion Raihan had seen from Leon since he’d taken his place at his side, and he clung to it.

“Assuredly not, Sire, but it was a… dire situation. After the third day, you feel so tired your very hair starts to hurt.”

“Your hair?” Leon asked incredulously, sitting down on the chaise in his sitting room. “...I do hope that you do not have to experience that again.”

“I plan not to, thank you,” Raihan said, his heart lifting at the shock in his voice. Good. He wasn’t frozen all the way through. Raihan just needed to find out how to break through that icy wall between them.

He took his place behind Leon and took the brush from Leon’s hands without further prompting and began the familiar motion of brushing Leon’s hair. Their little ritual had started very sporadic, but had become much more routine over the past few weeks. Raihan would follow Leon to his rooms at the end of the day, even while they were on the road, and assist with taming his long, wild hair. Then, if Raihan was lucky, Leon would ask for some form of physical contact.

Raihan was still sorting out how he felt about that. No one was allowed to touch the king, apart from Prince Hop and the manservants that helped Leon get dressed for the day. Perhaps that was even why Leon asked for his touch at all. Alone. In private. And why he reacted to Raihan’s touch like a withered flower in a desert, coming back to life with the touch of rain.

Leon was quiet as Raihan brushed out his long hair, its length enough that it pooled on the chaise in loose swirls around him, and required to be braided each night in order for him to maintain it. Rumors flew around the castle about how much shampoo was needed to keep it as clean and shiny as it always was, though no one seemed to have an actual answer. The King’s shoulders relaxed minutely as Raihan brushed out and braided his hair, and they both sat in a comfortable silence.

Finally, as Raihan was finishing the tie at the end of his long braid, Leon’s voice came again, imposing, but still soft.

“...touch me. Gently.”

Raihan looked down at him, so surprised at the gentle tone of his voice that it took him a moment to answer. 

“Your hands again, Sire?” Raihan asked, his voice equally soft.

“No,” he said firmly, and hesitated before he continued. “...surprise me.”

Raihan considered for a moment, then reached down to trail his fingers along the back of Leon’s neck. Moving his braid around to his front, Leon tilted his head forward, letting out a soft sigh as he gave Raihan more area to work with.

Calloused fingers, made rough by a lifetime of hard work, gently trailed along soft skin. He caressed down to his shoulders, then slid both his hands forward, stroking along his throat and under his chin. Leon’s head tilted back now, his adam’s apple bobbing slightly as Raihan’s fingers drifted along it, the smallest of noises escaping his throat. 

That soft sound went straight down Raihan’s spine, and he teased his fingers upward along Leon’s throat in hopes of coaxing another gentle sound out of him. No sound came, though a bit of tension lifted from Leon’s shoulders at Raihan’s further attentions. Raihan slid forward just a little so Leon’s head rested lightly against him, and continued his gentle touch. His fingers tenderly drifted up and down Leon’s throat, occasionally sliding behind his ears or dipping down to caress his shoulders or clavicles. As Leon relaxed beneath him, it took all his will not to lean down and give his forehead a gentle kiss.

Very gradually, Leon’s eyes began to drift closed. His muscles relaxed further, and he slowly leaned more fully back against Raihan, beginning to drift off to sleep.

With one last tender stroke along the strong line of his jaw, Raihan let his hands fall to rest on Leon’s broad shoulders.

“Sire?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Leon drew in a breath, his eyes fluttering open. “...hm?”

“I do believe it would be wise for you to take your rest in your bed, and not on the chaise.”

“Mm,” Leon toned eloquently, taking a moment to sit up and away from Raihan. “Yes, of course.” He gradually stood up, tension almost immediately beginning to return to his posture. “Help me undress.”

“Of course, Sire,” Raihan said, and followed him out of the sitting room and into the bedchamber. 

Raihan was less sure about this new part of their routine, but it made sense, as Raihan was effectively replacing Leon’s chamberlain on evenings like this. He just needed to take extra care to keep his thoughts in check. 

He carefully disrobed Leon, resisting the urge to continue his gentle caresses, and fought hard to keep his eyes from roaming Leon’s broad form, instead quickly busying himself with replacing the extravagant clothing while Leon dressed himself in his bedclothes. Leon yawned as he meandered toward his bed, obviously quite exhausted from the long day.

Raihan turned down the bed covers and stood silently as Leon climbed into bed, awaiting his dismissal. Leon curled up in the enormous bed, suddenly seeming small in something that was designed for two people. He let out a sigh as he got comfortable under the covers, his eyes drifting closed.

“...g’night, Raihan…” he said softly as he began to drift off.

“Sleep well, my King,” Raihan replied, and slipped quietly from the room. 

He left the door between the bedchamber and sitting room open, as Leon frequently preferred it, and took his place out in the corridor, standing opposite the door from Camilla. After a moment’s consideration and another moment’s paranoia, he cracked open that door as well, to better hear any sign of a disturbance.

Just in case. 

Raihan’s eyes inevitably strayed towards Camilla. He’d seen her around since he returned to the castle, but hadn’t gotten a chance to talk with her. Grey now peppered her short curly black hair, and crows feet lingered near her eyes and around the curve of her mouth. The wry smile on her lips hadn’t changed in the years Raihan had been gone, however, and he gave her a smile in return.

“Well, well,” Camilla said quietly, mindful of the open door, “I must say, you didn’t stop dreaming, did you?”

“I found a goal and went for it. I have you to thank for that, Sir Camilla,” Raihan said.

“There’s nothing to thank me for,” she retorted, shaking her head, “you’re the one who worked his ass off.”

“True,” Raihan conceded, “though you were certainly an inspiration while I was young.”

“I’m glad for any contribution I may have had, especially considering how accomplished you’ve become.” Camilla smiled warmly at him, pride shining in her eyes. “Swooping in and snatching the Champion title right after you make Royal Guard… I’m glad to see that you’re still the same cheeky bastard you were when you were a teenager.”

Raihan’s smile faded.

“Maybe not quite the same,” he said softly. “It’s been a long, hard road to get here.”

Camilla’s smile slipped a bit as Raihan’s did.

“Yes, time and experience changes us all. Though you certainly seem to have made sure it changed you into a strong, reliable young man.”

“Thank you,” Raihan said. “I hope I live up to the title.”

“I have no doubt that you will,” Camilla said with a firm nod and a warm smile.

Much of the night passed uneventfully, though somewhere in the lull between deep night and morning, there was the faintest of noises from within Leon’s room. Then another. And finally a soft, pained cry. Raihan glanced once at Camilla, then rushed into the room, sword in his hand, eyes sharp and fierce. Camilla was right behind him. 

Leon was still in his bed, and though his covers were strewn about, there was no sign of anyone or anything else in the room. He was twitching and whimpering, though his eyes were closed, and soon it was apparent that he was still asleep.

Another nightmare?

“Just a dream,” Camilla said, her sharp eyes watching Leon writhe.

“Resume your post, Sir Camilla,” Raihan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll handle this.”

“Yes, Sir,” Camilla said. She gave him a lingering look, but said nothing more as she left the room to resume her post.

Raihan sheathed his sword and approached the bed.

“Sire?”

Leon whimpered, but didn’t wake. His limbs twitched erratically, his breath came fast and shallow, and his face was twisted into an expression of pain. Raihan’s heart tore at that look, and he grabbed Leon’s shoulder to shake him awake.

“Sire!”

A cry of terror tore itself from Leon’s throat, and he instantly reared back, doing anything to get away from Raihan’s touch. Raihan let him go in shock. Leon thrashed for a moment more, and the motions started to wake him up, faint words forcing themselves from his throat, guttural and petrified.

“...no please… stop!... wh-why…?”

“Your Majesty, please!” Raihan tried to break through the spell Leon was trapped in, but was afraid to touch him again after the violent reaction. “You’re dreaming!”

Leon gasped, his eyes popping open wide, his gaze wild and unfocused. He scrambled to the middle of the bed, curling up and breathing hard, and gripped the sheets so tightly they almost began to tear.

Raihan kept his distance, but held his hands out non-threateningly.

“Sire? My King? Can you hear me?”

A shaky breath left Leon’s lungs, and he pulled the sheets closer to himself. His eyes were still staring blankly at nothing, their gold color seeming more pale and reflective.

“....R…” He let out another whimper, shuddering from head to toe before he very gradually began to calm. “....Rai…?”

“Yes, Sire,” Raihan said gently, and cautiously moved closer. “I’m here. I’m right here. You were dreaming.”

The terror in his eyes began to slip away as Raihan spoke. One of Leon’s hands reached out toward him, searching for something to hold onto.

“...d-dream?...”

“Yes,” Raihan gently took his hand. “You’re in the castle, in your bed. You’re safe. Everyone is safe.”

Leon gripped his hand like a lifeline, and as he held fast to Raihan, his breathing finally began to even out.

“....s… safe… R… Raih—”

He choked slightly, his eyes beginning to focus on the here and now.

“That’s right, you’re safe. Breathe for me, Sire. In and out,” Raihan gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Leon’s hand shook in Raihan’s as he held tight, though he was gradually calming down.

“...this is… not a dream…? Raihan… you’re…?”

“I’m here,” Raihan took a seat on the edge of the bed. “I’m here. I’m real.”

“Y-you’re here,” Leon repeated, holding Raihan’s hand too tightly now. “...y-you’re real…”

“Yes,” Raihan rubbed Leon’s arm comfortingly with his free hand, not minding the vice-like grip Leon had on him. “I’m here. And you’re safe.”

Leon took a broken breath, letting it out slowly. His grip began to lessen, and his wide eyes slowly began to relax and droop.

“...safe… with you…” he murmured softly, taking a few more deep breaths.

“Yes…” Raihan breathed. 

He hadn’t seen Leon this vulnerable in over a decade, not since the day they parted. It was like looking at a completely different person. The wall of ice had crumbled, but left a frightened, defenseless man in its wake, a far cry from the brilliant and hardened king he’d come to know.

Leon was slowly starting to nod off again, exhausted by the whole affair. His grip on Raihan’s hand had loosened, but was far from the point of letting go.

“...please… stay…” he whispered.

“I will,” Raihan promised. “I’m right here. By your side.”

“...with me…” Leon murmured, “...al…”

A moment later, he had fallen back asleep, his hand still holding Raihan’s. The quiet of the night slowly crept back. Raihan got comfortable on the bed, determined to fulfill his duty as night guard, but he kept hold of Leon’s hand, the same hands they’d sworn a blood pact with all those years ago. Raihan stayed that way for hours. Camilla slipped in to check on them when Raihan didn’t return, then left them in peace the rest of the night. Only when pre-dawn teased the horizon and Leon had pulled away in sleep did Raihan leave his king and return to his post.


	9. The Long Cold - Chapter 5

Raihan didn’t mention Leon’s nightmares in the morning, and neither did Leon, so he held his tongue and went about his business as usual. His routine went back to normal, and he tried to put it out of his mind and focus on his duty. The weeks passed with summer in full splendor, and Raihan found himself frequently grateful for the cool stone of the castle. 

Today, however, he was away from the shelter of the castle, and out in the market in the afternoon summer heat. Leon had a long, tedious meeting to oversee, and Raihan was tasked with escorting Prince Hop into the Upper City marketplace to help him buy Sonia a birthday present. Despite the heat, Raihan would rather be out and about with the cheerful prince than nodding off to another boring meeting, and he took the duty as a mercy.

“So, how do you know Lady Sonia so well, Your Highness?” Raihan asked as they strode through the Upper City. “You seem quite keen on getting her a suitable gift.”

“Oh, she teaches some of my lessons,” Hop replied, looking around the marketplace as they meandered toward it, “and she runs the library. She tries to get me to read some of the boring books, but I make sure she shows me where all the _good_ ones are!”

“You read quite a bit then?” Raihan asked, looking down at him.

“Yeah! Lee gives me books to read, too, and they’re always the best! Adventure and slaying monsters and magic!” He made a few excited sounds, pretending to wave a sword about. “He knows I’m not really allowed out much, so reading about exciting things helps.”

“You are wiser than me, then,” he said with a smile. “I hated reading when I was your age.”

“You did?” Hop said, staring up at him, “what’d you do instead?”

“I mostly played outside,” Raihan said. “I knew the area around my home very well, but I didn’t know anything beyond it. I’m sure your reading has taught you all about far away lands, something I didn’t have until I met… until I started taking lessons.”

Hop pouted up at Raihan.

“Yeah well, I wish I had a lot fewer lessons and could play outside a lot more! Rose barely lets me get my clothes dirty! I want to go exploring and discover stuff! Like how you know all about creatures!”

“Hm. Perhaps it’s best to do both,” Raihan said as they strode through the bustling marketplace.

“Tell that to Rose,” Hop grumbled, but as they got closer to the market stalls, his gloom dissipated. He stuck close to Raihan, but started bouncing on his feet once he spotted something. 

“Ah, Raihan! Look, over there!!”

He pointed toward a stall that was completely adorned with fine jewelry, tugging on Raihan’s arm excitedly.

“Ah, do you think Lady Sonia would like jewelry, Your Highness?” Raihan asked, letting Hop lead him to the stall.

“Oh yeah, she loves stuff like that!” Hop enthused, stopping in front of the stall. “She’s always nervous about wearing too much of it, though. Says she doesn’t want to seem _too_ rich.”

“Then maybe nothing too extravagant, hm?” He briefly scanned the wares, but kept most of his attention on the crowded market place. There were many bystanders who gave them looks, as it wasn’t everyday that the Champion escorted the Crown Prince off the castle grounds, but the looks were little more than innocent curiosity or excitement, and nothing more sinister.

“I guess… I think she should look as pretty as she wants. Who cares what people think?”

Hop stood on his tip-toes to look at all the jewelry in the stall, and the merchant running it nearly seemed to faint upon seeing who was before him.

“P-Prince Hop!” he exclaimed, “what a pleasure to see you and Champion Raihan today! Is there anything I can help you find?”

“We are looking for a gift for a fine Lady,” Raihan said, glancing briefly at the shopkeeper.

“How wonderful! She is quite the lucky Lady, to be receiving such a gift from our Crown Prince. If you need any recommendations, I’m happy to help.”

Hop nodded vaguely toward him, but was already scanning the large array of jewelry. It wasn’t long before he excitedly pointed at something.

“Ah, there! That one!”

He was pointing at a simple, silver necklace with hearts strung along the necklace band.

“That one, your Highness?” the shopkeep asked, pointing specifically to the necklace to confirm, not about to try and upsell the young Crown Prince.

“Yeah! She’ll love it!! She loves hearts.”

Raihan looked the piece over with a critical eye, then determined the advertised price was fair and the shopkeeper wasn’t taking advantage of the young prince. Elsewhere in the market plaza came the sound of raised voices, and Raihan quickly looked over, though he couldn’t see anything through the throng of people.

Hop didn’t seem to notice, leaning forward onto the stand toward the shopkeeper, beaming brightly as he watched him wrap it up.

“Do you have any blue ribbon? She loves blue!”

“Such a lucky Lady to be getting a gift from his Highness, who is so thoughtful to know her preferences!” the shopkeep said cheerily, pulling out a blue ribbon as he packaged up the necklace safely.

“Most of her dresses are blue, so it’s not hard to know her favorite.”

The voices grew louder, but Raihan still couldn’t see anything. He narrowed his eyes and put a hand on his sword.

Hop leaned over the wooden counter and took the box from the shopkeep, giving him too many coins.

“Thanks a lot!”

“Ah, your Highness, this is too much, you—”

“Oh, I know,” Hop said, holding the box close. “Keep it!”

“If—if you’re sure… I…”

“Yep! Lee always says to be generous! And you were real nice!”

“Th-thank you, your Highness!”

“You’re welcome!” Hop turned back to Raihan, holding up the box triumphantly. “Got it! Now we can…” He trailed off as the sounds of a scuffle got close enough to hear more prominently.

“Your Highness, we should return to the castle,” Raihan said, his voice low. Towering above the crowd, he could see movement, people scrambling out of the way of… something.

“Huh?” Hop looked up at Raihan with confusion, “but we just got here...”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Raihan promised. “But right now we should—”

He was cut off as the commotion came upon them, a rolling brawl between a good dozen young men, all dressed in the finery of nobility and not giving a damn about anyone who got in their way.

“Sire, let’s move!”

Raihan grabbed Hop’s hand and tried to pull him away from the commotion, but more people swarmed out of the crowd, doubling the size of the brawl. They’d only made it a dozen feet away from the stall when the fight overtook them. Raihan and Hop were cut off, pinned between a shop wall and the fight. 

Hop’s eyes were wide, and he held tight to Raihan’s hand, clutching the small box close to his chest with the other. Raihan gave his hand a squeeze.

“Stay behind me, Highness,” his voice was sharp and urgent, as he pulled Hop behind him, then raised it to a roar. “ _STAND DOWN._ Stop this, _NOW!_ ”

Hop cowered behind Raihan, watching the ensuing fight with enormous eyes. He winced as one man punched another brute in the jaw with a sickening crack. None of them seemed to even notice Hop or Raihan, too wrapped up in their brawl.

Not for the first time, Raihan was grateful for the extensive political lessons Kabu gave him, and he recognized a handful of the faces in the fight. They belonged to two warring families, minor nobility with a feud that went back almost a century. To his knowledge, this wasn’t the first time their rivalry had gotten out of hand, but Raihan wasn’t going to put up with it.

“As King’s Champion, I demand—”

A wild-eyed young man swung a punch at him. Raihan effortlessly caught the boy’s fist and broke his wrist with a twist of his arm. The young man screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his wrist.

“ _Enough!_ This ends now before such reckless brawling injures an innocent bystander!”

With one of the family taken out by a serious injury, Raihan thought that would be the end of it. However, all it took was the scream of the foolish young man for his brothers and cousins to mark Raihan as their new enemy, and they surged toward him.

So be it. 

Raihan dove into the fray.

He kept his sword sheathed, not wanting to risk killing an innocent bystander or even one of the brawlers, reckless as they were. He didn’t need it, anyway. He fought with ruthless precision, his strikes and grabs much more pointed and efficient than random street brawling, and he quickly broke noses, kneecaps, and wrists to incapacitate the fighters. He took more than his fair share of blows as both sides of the fight turned on him, but he didn’t even blink. Compared to a group of hardened bandits with intent to kill, a bunch of angry rich young men with no sense, no weapons, and no skill was hardly a challenge. 

It only took a few minutes for Raihan to subdue over half the brawlers, and left the rest more worried about their safety than continuing the fight. Raihan stood still, breathing hard and staring down a pair of men who hadn’t yet decided if they were going to back down or not when he heard a sharp yelp behind him.

“Raih—” 

He snapped his head over to see a man, much older than the young men in the fight and dressed in dark clothing, cover Hop’s mouth with a gloved hand and drag him down a discrete side street.

“ _Stop!_ ” Fear clenched around Raihan’s heart, and he sprinted after them.

As he turned down the side street, the darkly-clad man was still walking backward with Hop, muttering to him near his ear. 

“Quiet now, and stop struggling.”

Hop spotted Raihan and tried to move toward him, letting out a shout behind the man’s gloved hand. The dark-clad man responded by snapping a knife to Hop’s throat in the blink of an eye, looking up to regard Raihan approaching them.

“Stop right there.”

Raihan stopped cold, his blood freezing in his veins.

“Let him go,” Raihan growled.

“When I’d be able to get such a pretty penny ransoming him to the King? I don’t think so.”

Tears welled in Hop’s wide eyes, watching Raihan fearfully.

Raihan thought fast, analyzing how far away he was, how quickly he could get to them, and the nature of the man before him, guessing him to be quick, but not jumpy. If he could just get a little closer… Raihan cautiously slid a foot forward, a hand easing toward his sword.

“Ah ah,” the man said, pressing the tip of the knife into Hop’s neck, “not another step.”

The knife cut into Hop’s neck just enough to draw blood, a thick droplet of blood leaving a trail down his neck. Hop let out a strangled cry of pain from behind the man’s hand.

Raihan stopped, and his eyes burned with a cold rage.

“That’s a ransom that would earn you a death sentence, not coin.”

“Depends on how clever you are,” the man responded smoothly, taking a single step back with Hop. “They say that the only time the King smiles is for the Prince… so I’m sure he would do _anything_ to get him back.”

Raihan’s heart pounded in his chest. There was no way he could close the distance between them without a distraction. Would this man really be willing to kill his hostage? If Hop died - gods, just _thinking_ it made Raihan sick - then Raihan would kill him immediately. Would he favor Hop’s value as a hostage and just injure him? How much of it was a bluff?

Could Raihan really take that risk? 

“Do you think that would save you?” Raihan said, stalling for time. “You think you wouldn’t just become another loose end to be tied up?”

“Loose ends can easily slip away,” he replied, adjusting his grip on the knife as he took another step back with Hop. “Best not try anything, Champi—” 

He suddenly let out a strangled grunt and doubled over. Hop had kicked backwards, nailing the man right in the crotch.

Raihan lunged forward, going from standing to a dead sprint in that single second of distraction. He caught the man’s knife arm with one hand and grabbed Hop with the other. He yanked him away and threw the boy safely behind him, even though it meant sending Hop head over heels in a tumble. Hop rolled along the cobblestones a bit before he managed to scramble back to his feet.

The man in black recovered quickly as Raihan grappled with him. A hidden knife snapped out of the sleeve of his free hand, and he swiftly stabbed it into Raihan’s shoulder.

Raihan grunted. His eyes were black with fury, and promised death as he wrestled with the man, using his larger and stronger form to his advantage. The man struggled against Raihan’s superior strength. He thrashed, but could barely move in Raihan’s iron grip, and resorted to desperate tactics. He bit Raihan's arms, the attempt useless against Raihan’s leather bracers, and finally spat in Raihan’s eyes. Raihan didn’t flinch and only tightened his grip.

Hop stood several paces away, sniffling a little as his tears dried, and he watched the fight with rapt attention. 

Raihan muscled him down to one knee and found an opening as the man tried to weasel away. He shifted his grip to catch the man’s head as he tried to duck out of Raihan’s grip, then sharply and efficiently snapped his neck. The body dropped to the ground with a soft thump. Raihan took a few harsh breaths, then rose to his feet and pulled the knife out of his shoulder and dropped it to the cobblestones.

Hop began to tremble, staring at the scene with wide eyes. Tears once again formed in his eyes as he sniveled softly.

“Hop!” Raihan rushed to the prince and dropped to his knees, grabbing his shoulders. “Hop, are you hurt!?”

He burst into tears, loud and messy, flinging himself into Raihan’s arms. The cut on his neck was bleeding, but the wound was shallow.

“Shhh…” Raihan wrapped his arms around him. “Easy now. It’s alright. I have you. You’re safe. Please, Hop. Are you hurt? Did he get you anywhere else?” 

Hop shook his head against Raihan’s chest, still crying messily into his tunic. The box tied off with a blue ribbon lay on the ground beside them as Hop held as tightly as he could to Raihan, still trembling from head to toe.

Raihan grabbed the box with one hand, then scooped Hop up as if he were any other child and headed back to the street.

“Let’s go back home, okay? Do you want to hold Lady Sonia’s gift? You did a very good job of keeping it safe.”

Hop’s tears slowed as Raihan drew his attention to the box, and he nodded. He took the box from Raihan, holding it tightly as he slowly calmed in his arms.

“There, that’s it,” Raihan said soothingly. 

They reached the scene of the brawl in time to find the guard cleaning up the mess and hauling away anyone left behind. Raihan caught the eye of a guardsman and nodded toward the alley, then continued up toward the castle. His injured shoulder burned as he carried Hop, but the dark leather of his armor easily hid the blood and it certainly didn’t stop him from murmuring reassurances to Hop all the way back to the castle.

Hop didn’t stop trembling, not even once they were safe within the castle walls. The higher nobility were milling about the hallways, looking like the big meeting had reached a break, even if it was far from over. Leon stood talking with Rose and Kabu in the entrance hall, and it was Rose who first spotted Raihan and Hop.

“P-Prince Hop!” 

He bustled over toward them, alarm on his face and looking Hop over in Raihan’s hold. Raihan hardly paid him a glance and walked right past him, heading directly to Leon.

Leon’s gaze had grown steely as he spotted them, and he met Raihan halfway with firm, purposeful steps. 

“What happened?”

Hop’s head snapped up at the sound of Leon’s voice, and he started crying all over again.

“Lee!!!”

Leon instantly moved to take Hop from Raihan, giving Raihan a slightly fearful look as Hop passed between them. Raihan’s shoulder gave a stab of pain as he handed Hop over, but ignored it.

“There was a disturbance in the marketplace, a bunch of young hotheads from the Teruna and Walith families inciting a brawl in the streets. They came upon us quickly, and I was forced to quell the fight or have us both be pulled into it. While I was occupied, a third party tried to abduct His Highness, the Prince. I subdued him and returned to the castle at once.”

Leon’s gaze grew dark, and he held Hop closer as his brother continued crying.

“...who. Who attempted to abduct him.” He stroked some of Hop’s hair out of the way, rage seeping into his gaze as he spotted blood there. “He’s bleeding.”

“The wound is not deep, though it should be cleaned and tended to, Your Majesty,” Raihan said, standing at perfect attention. “I do not know who the abductor was. He was not one of the warring families, and I did not recognize him or his livery. …Perhaps his body can be identified.” 

Leon’s normally cold voice was even more icy than usual.

“See to it that it is. This will _not_ happen again.”

“Raihan saved me, Lee…” Hop sobbed quietly, “h-he saved me…”

Leon’s voice got more gentle, and he stroked Hop’s back.

“Yes, he did.”

“I will see to it at once, Sire,” Raihan bowed.

“Good,” Leon responded, “do you have anything else to report?”

“No, Sire,” Raihan said, and rose from his bow. “There were no other casualties, and the city guard is cleaning up the rest of the mess.”

“Very good,’ Leon replied, and turned away, heading with Hop toward the infirmary, still stroking his hair and back.

Raihan left without another word, though he gave a quick nod to Kabu, and strode immediately to the barracks. He hunted down an officer to give the task of retrieving the would-be abductor’s body and having it identified, along with ordering a full report made. His task sufficiently delegated, Raihan finally returned to the castle and made his way to the infirmary.

Kabu was there waiting for him. He looked up as Raihan entered, his shoulders relaxing a bit as he gave Raihan a nod.

“You finally made it.”

“Sir Kabu?” 

Raihan was surprised, then realized he shouldn’t be. Of course an experienced warrior like Kabu would have noticed how Raihan was favoring his shoulder. 

“I passed on the order that the assailant’s body be identified,” he explained. “I had to act quickly before he was disposed of.”

He started to strip out of his armor, grimacing as the left pauldron came away sticky with drying blood. Kabu frowned.

“Hm… looks like he got a decent hit on you.” His voice dropped a little. “...was it that close of a situation? Prince Hop’s wound was incredibly minor, but…”

Raihan’s lips tightened into a grim expression.

“He had the Prince halfway down an alley while I was distracted by the fight. He had a knife to his throat and I had no way to get closer. His Highness tried to fight back at just the right time and gave me the distraction I needed to pull him away from the assailant. I didn’t even have time to draw my sword, and the man was very nimble.”

He shook his head. 

“I never should have let my attention become so divided. It was a failing on my part that let the prince become so endangered.”

“Hm,” Kabu toned quietly, “you’re far more used to being alongside those who aren’t as defenseless as the Prince. Though I don’t doubt that the Teruna and Walith families were not making it an easy job for you.”

“They did not,” Raihan admitted, and took a seat on one of the cots as a red-headed nurse started cleaning his wound. “Still. I will do better.”

Kabu nodded, standing to one side to let the nurse work.

“Good. There’s always room for improvement. However… know we are all still very grateful that you brought the Prince home safe.”

“How is he?” Raihan asked. “He said it was just the one wound, but he was so rattled, I couldn’t be sure…” 

“It was just the shallow cut on his neck, though he was definitely still quite upset until the King took him back to his chambers. I imagine the experience was quite jarring for him… he’s so used to the peace of the castle…”

“I’m just glad he’s alright,” he winced as the nurse finished stitching his wound closed and began bandaging him.

“I am, as well,” Kabu said quietly. “Well, he was asking for you while he was here. I had to tell him that you were off cleaning things up…”

“Me?” Raihan looked over at Kabu in surprise. “Why?”

“Why?” Kabu repeated incredulously, “because you’re the man who saved his life! He hasn’t stopped telling everyone about how brave you were and how you saved him from certain death.”

Raihan gave a small smile. “Of course. I’m just glad he’s safe.”

The nurse finished bandaging and Raihan graciously thanked her as she bustled away.

“Where is he?”

“The King took him back to his own bed chambers for the evening…” Kabu stepped in closer to Raihan, speaking next very softly. “I suspect this has seriously rattled the King, as well. I’ll be posting an extra guard outside his door tonight, to ease his mind.”

“A wise idea,” Raihan said, and slipped his tunic back on, though he held his armor under his good arm. “I’ll clean up and head over there. …Thank you for checking in on me, Sir Kabu. I appreciate it.” 

“Of course, Sir Raihan,” Kabu said with a small, warm smile. “I… I am truly glad to be serving with you. Thank you again for what you did today.”

With that, he gave a deep bow to Raihan and slipped out of the infirmary. 

Raihan stared at the empty doorway where Kabu had been a second ago, his heart swelling at Kabu’s proud, grateful words. He got a hold of himself after a moment and left. He stopped by his room to change into a clean tunic and jerkin, then took the familiar walk to the king’s quarters. He nodded to the three guards on duty and knocked lightly on the door.

“Your Majesty?”

“Come in,” came Leon’s voice through the door.

Inside his chambers, Hop was propped up by a small mountain of Leon’s many pillows in the giant bed, with Leon sitting on the bed near him. They both looked over with similar golden eyes as Raihan entered. A smile found Hop’s face and he sat up straighter. There was a bandage around his neck, though he didn’t seem hindered by it.

“Raihan!!”

“I heard you wished to see me, Your Highness,” Raihan said, giving Leon a nod before heading toward the prince.

“Oh! Yeah… I just…” He bit his lip, his face easily showing the vulnerability he was experiencing. “...I wanted to say thanks. F-for saving me. It was…” His bottom lip trembled and he bit it harder. “...it was really scary… I thought fights would be fun, but…”

Raihan’s soft heart melted at the vulnerability in Hop’s wide eyes. With a glance at Leon for permission, he sat on the edge of the bed to get closer to Hop’s level.

“You're right. It is scary. Fighting in a tournament against friends and allies can be very fun and exciting, but a real fight is no such thing. Death is a very real possibility. I am sorry you had to learn that so soon.”

Raihan lowered his eyes, finally saying what had been weighing on him all afternoon. “And I am sorry I had my attention away from you long enough to let that…miscreant reach you in the first place.”

Hop shook his head firmly.

“He was real sneaky… and you had a bunch of guys to deal with. I didn’t even hear him come up behind me!” He huffed a little, slightly reminiscent of Sonia. “I bet you could’ve taken them _all_ on if that stupid guy hadn’t shown up!”

“That I could have,” Raihan said with a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Still kinda scared,” Hop admitted before he smiled happily at Leon. “But Lee said I could spend the night here with him! So I know I’ll be safe!”

“That’s right. There’s nowhere safer in the castle than this room,” Raihan reassured. “And you were very brave today, even if you were afraid.”

Hop’s expression brightened further.

“Y-you think so?”

“Yes, I do. And smart, too. He wasn’t going to let me get any closer without an opening, and _you_ made that opening for me.”

A grin finally found Hop’s face.

“I saw Sonia do that once to a guy who grabbed her… it was all I could think to do.”

Raihan hastily contained a flare of anger at whoever would try to put their hands on Sonia and spared a quick glance at Leon before returning his attention to Hop.

“It was very smart. He clearly wasn’t expecting you to fight back.”

“That was the other thing I wanted to say…” Hop said, fiddling with the bedsheets, “I um… I want you to teach me out to fight, so next time, you won’t have to save me.”

Raihan raised his eyebrows.

“You want me to teach you how to fight? How to _really_ fight?”

Hop nodded firmly, his expression serious.

“Definitely. You’re the best fighter in the Kingdom. I want you to teach me.”

Raihan thought for a moment.

“In truth, I think it would be a very good idea for you to learn how to defend yourself,” Raihan gave him a wry smile. “But be warned, you may not like me very much after I’m through training you. It will be very hard. You will be tired, sore, and have your own share of bruises. _And_ you’ll still have to continue with all your other lessons.”

“I _know_ it’s gonna be hard,” Hop said with a frown, “but if I don’t work hard, I can’t grow up and get tall and strong like you and Lee!”

Raihan smiled a little wider and glanced over at Leon.

“Your Majesty? Would you approve of His Highness the Prince taking weapons training from me? We would have to make some rearrangements to the guard schedules, but perhaps in the afternoons?”

Leon considered this for a moment, glancing between the two of them.

“Hm… it would be good for you to learn… I had initially planned to have you start training when you were twelve…”

Hop jutted out his bottom lip, leaning toward Leon with a perfectly crafted puppy dog face.

“Pleeeeease?”

Leon let out a sigh, his eyes more warm than ever as he looked back at Hop.

“Very well.”

“Hooray!!” Hop pumped a fist in the air, all thoughts of the bandage around his neck seemingly gone.

“Congrats, Hop!” spoke a new voice.

Raihan stiffed and his hand snapped toward his sword, but his tight nerves relaxed once he recognized the voice. Allister faded into view, hovering just above Hop.

“I told you they'd say yes,” he said.

“A-Allister!” Hop exclaimed, glancing between the ghost and Raihan, “w-what about—!?”

“Oh don’t worry, Raihan and I go way back.” He let out a ghostly giggle.

“Allister,” Raihan said smoothly, and hid how tense he’d gone at the new voice. “A pleasure to see you.”

“And you,” the boy returned. “Sounds like it was quite the eventful day for everyone.”

“Indeed,” Leon said, “which means that it is definitely time for bed.”

“Aww, Lee, you don’t go to bed as early as I do, can’t we stay up?” Hop gave him another pout.

“Only for a few stories, Hop,” Leon said gently.

Raihan took that as his cue to leave. He slid back off the bed, but put too much weight on his left arm, putting pressure on his wound, and a grimace crossed his face before he rose to his feet.

“Sleep well and enjoy your stories, Your Highness. Allister,” He nodded to the both of them and made to leave.

Leon watched him stand and followed suit.

“Can you tell him the first one, Allister?” Leon asked, “the one about the haunted teapot?”

“Ah yeah, that one,” Allister said, floating down to sit cross-legged beside Hop, “sure thing.”

“I’ll be right back, I just need to speak with Sir Raihan a moment,” Leon said, his tone shifting as he moved toward the sitting room.

Raihan glanced quickly at Leon as his tone shifted, as if what little warmth Leon had faded the further away he was from Hop. Raihan didn’t speak, and instead followed him into the sitting room.

“Sire?” He asked the moment the door was closed. Leon turned sharply toward him, a frown on his face.

“Why did you not report to me that you were also injured?” he demanded.

Raihan stared blankly at Leon for a moment, taken aback by the intensity of his harsh gaze.

“It’s only a shoulder wound,” Raihan said. “In light of the circumstances, I didn’t think it was important.”

Leon’s voice was firm, and he strode close to Raihan, inspecting his shoulder.

“You were injured while rescuing my brother. It is important to me.”

“I…” Raihan struggled for words, grappling with the fact that a knife wound to the shoulder was nowhere close to the realm of serious injuries he’d suffered in the past, along with the knowledge that Leon was clearly upset that Raihan had been hurt. “I… I apologize.”

“Show me,” Leon said firmly.

Raihan stared at him for only a moment before obediently removing his jerkin and tunic, laying them over the back of the chaise. Raihan’s form was littered with scars from his decade in the militia. He had the long-healed remains of cuts and gashes all over, an extensive burn scar over his unbandaged shoulder, and a matching row of inch-wide scars curving over his chest and back that, when viewed as a whole, gave the impression of an enormous set of jaws. His shoulder was neatly bandaged by the nurse, and dark, purple bruises had formed all over his skin.

“You are also intently bruised,” Leon observed, moving forward to more thoroughly inspect him. “Another thing you failed to mention.”

Raihan stood at attention, arms stiff at his sides and stared straight ahead as Leon inspected him.

“Forgive me. They… are only bruises. But it will not happen again, Sire.”

“Good,” Leon said and reached out to trail the tips of his fingers along one of Raihan’s darkening bruises. “Useless, petty turf wars…”

Raihan’s breath caught in his throat and his pectorals flexed involuntarily at the gentle touch of Leon’s fingertips.

“I agree. And in public, no less…” 

“Those thugs had better be in jail, where they belong.” His voice was firm and angry, though his touch was delicate, stroking along the edge of Raihan’s bruise.

Raihan’s breath grew deeper and heavier, each touch of Leon’s fingers like fire on his skin.

“I know the city guard was gathering them up, last I saw…” 

“Very good.” 

Leon’s gaze was harsh and cold, though his touch remained gentle.

“I expect that you will never fail to tell me of your wounds again.”

Raihan met Leon’s eyes, and felt a strange disconnect between the harshness in Leon’s eyes and the gentle, tender touch on his skin.

“Yes, My King. I will not,” he said softly.

“...good.” 

Finally he pulled his hand back.

“...that said… I owe you an immense debt of gratitude for keeping Hop safe. ...thank you, Raihan.”

Raihan shook his head.

“It is my duty, Sire. You owe me nothing more than what our oaths already proclaim.”

The barest hint of a plea entered Leon’s firm voice.

“...please accept my gratitude, Sir Raihan. There are few things I can offer you freely.”

Raihan met his eyes, and though they remained a wall of icy gold, there was a softness to them, a flicker of something more trying to get out. Raihan bowed his head.

“Then I accept your gratitude, Majesty.”

“...thank you.”

He turned back toward his bedroom. 

“I will see you tomorrow, Sir Raihan.”

“Yes, Sire. Tomorrow.”

Raihan let out a long breath as the door closed and he redressed himself. He returned to his quarters, running over the events in his head. The range of emotion Leon displayed this afternoon was the most Raihan had seen: alarm, anger, relief, gratitude, even fear. It was a slow process, but Raihan was sure that Leon was opening up a little more each day. The Leon he once knew was still deep inside his ice cold king, he was sure of it.

Somewhere.


	10. The Long Cold - Chapter 6

“One, two, down! One, two, down!”

After a few days of rearranging their schedule, Raihan was finally giving Hop his first set of lessons. Much to the young prince’s dismay, the majority of the lesson had been simple things, like how to hold the short wooden sword, how to stand, and a lot of exercises that didn’t involve holding a sword at all. After training his own fair share of new recruits, Raihan already had a tried and true comprehensive lesson plan, and he was quite excited at teaching someone as eager and willing as Hop. He knew Hop would be frustrated that the first few lessons had very little to do with actually having a sword in hand, so he decided to end the lesson with a basic downward slash.

“One,” Raihan watched with a critical eye as the prince took a half step forward, his stance still shaky and clumsy, though that was to be expected. “Two,” Hop raised the practice sword upward, then swung downward at the final count of “Down!”

“Hah!”

Hop swung down with his practice sword with all his might, causing him to fall forward a bit, though he caught himself quickly.

“You overbalanced,” Raihan said. “Too much force with your weight too far forward. Don’t lean into it, keep your back straight. One, two, down!”

He walked around him, watching him from all angles. Their hour was almost up, and he knew Hop would be getting tired, but he kept a sharp eye out for the shaking arms or legs that meant he was becoming truly exhausted.

Hop swung his sword down again, and once again overbalanced and very nearly fell forward this time. 

“Ugh! C’mon…!” 

“Easy,” Raihan said. “It’s a sword, not a hammer. Let’s walk through it, slower.”

Raihan moved him through the steps once more, stopping him after each beat and physically adjusting his position before letting him continue. Raihan deliberately kept his eyes on Hop, and ignored where Rose was fuming on the edge of the practice yard. 

They decided to train in the same practice yards that the rest of the guard trained in, near the barracks, as Raihan and Leon saw no reason why it should be a secret that Hop was learning to defend himself. They’d gathered quite an audience at first, guards coming over to encourage the cheerful prince on, until Raihan had shooed them all off to stop distracting Hop.

Rose, however, stayed exactly where he was, the same scowl on his face the entire time.

“Okay… okay, I think I got it!” Hop said excitedly, and fell back into his stance. However, it was still a little off, as if he was forcing himself into a specific position rather than doing what was more natural.

Raihan shook his head. “That’s better, but you’re still overextending. Maybe we should back off and stick to stances for now.”

“Aw, really?” He pouted up at Raihan, still holding onto his practice sword tightly, “I really wanna learn how to use a sword! Like you and Lee do!”

Leon? Hop had seen Leon training? Raihan knew Leon carried a sword, but he assumed it was decorative, as he’d never seen him use it. And when would the King have the time to train?

“And you will. But you have to learn the basics first,” Raihan said.

“Okay,” Hop said slowly, “but I’m trying to do what you’re saying… and what I’ve seen Leon do. So how come it isn’t working?”

“Because even though your head knows what it wants to do, your muscles don’t quite get the whole picture yet,” Raihain said, giving Hop’s leg a tap with his own wooden sword to push it into the right stance. “And that will only come with time and practice.”

“Okaaaay,” Hop replied, shifting into the adjusted stance as Raihan physically moved him. “Like this?”

“Yes, good,” Raihan said with a nod. “Right there. Now, arms back…” 

Hop lifted his arms, so far so good.

“And down!”

Hop swung his arms down and… managed to only slightly overextend this time, his stance much more solid.

“Better!” Raihan said. “But I think that’s enough for today. Put your sword away and jog five laps around the yard, then do your cool down stretches.”

“Right!” Hop carefully put down his sword and started to jog around the yard, at perhaps a bit too fast a pace.

Rose, meanwhile, stood up and headed toward Raihan, a frown on his face.

“I’d thank you to not hit the Prince, Sir Raihan,” he said curtly, “it’s bad enough that he’s being subjected to this roughness, you need not be so harsh with him.”

“That was barely a tap, Steward Rose,” Raihan said.

He should leave it there. Raihan should shut his mouth and let the subject drop. He and Rose didn’t see eye to eye more often than not, but he was still the Steward to the King, and a trusted advisor. He shouldn’t antagonize him.

“He won’t start earning bruises for a few weeks, at the earliest,” Raihan said anyway.

Rose frowned more deeply at Raihan, holding himself higher.

“He is not some common recruit! He’s barely been outside the castle!”

“All the more reason for him to learn to defend himself,” Raihan retorted. 

“I still say that he is far too young for this,” Rose said grumpily, watching Hop, who’d now slowed to a jog, “the militia doesn’t recruit children his age.”

“No, they don’t,” Raihan said, also turning his eyes to watch Hop. “But other children his age aren’t a high-risk target. The King himself endorsed this, Steward Rose. If you have concerns about my methods or the practicality of these lessons at all, I’d request you take those concerns to His Majesty.”

“Hmph,” Rose responded, but said nothing more as Hop approached them, finishing up his laps. With a great groan, he flopped right onto his back in the middle of the training area.

“I can’t take any more, Raihan! My arms feel like lead, and my legs are limp! That’s it, I’m finished!”

“How fortunate, because we’re done,” Raihan tapped Hop’s foot with his wooden sword. “Do your stretches. I won’t be responsible for you cramping up later!”

“Ughh fiiiiine,” he said, staying flat on the ground a bit longer before finally sitting up and stretching out. “Do you even get sore anymore, Raihan?”

“Yes, but it takes a lot more than an hour of training to get me sore.”

Hop finished stretching out, then flopped right back down on the ground.

“...think I’m gonna sleep for a week, now…”

Rose let out a hefty sigh, moving over toward Hop.

“I’m afraid not… we have lessons to get to later today! Come along, you need to get cleaned up!”

“Awwww c’mon…! Can’t we skip the lessons today? I need a nap!”

“Don’t be so contrary, Highness,” came Kabu’s calm voice as he strode toward the trio on the training field, “or would you rather you not have weapons training?”

Hop scrambled to his feet, shaking his head.

“N-no Sir Kabu! S-sorry Steward Rose… I’ll go get cleaned up before lessons…”

“Thank you,” Rose said with a smile to Hop, “you know I only want the best for you.”

“We all do,” Kabu said with his own smile, “now run along.”

“Right,” Hop said, giving Raihan a grin, “see you soon!!”

“I will see you tomorrow,” Raihan nodded, and watched Hop and Rose’s retreating backs.

“The Prince seems to be taking to his training fairly well,” Kabu commented from beside Rahan.

“Like a fish to water,” Raihan confirmed. “Not bad for his first lesson.”

“Indeed,” Kabu said, turning slightly toward him, “you’re doing very well with him.”

“Thank you, but the prince deserves just as much credit for being a willing student.”

Kabu let out a soft chuckle.

“True… though I know for fact that he would likely be _far_ less willing with any other teacher.”

‘How unfortunate for you,” Raihan said with a dry smile. “Because you’re my stand-in, should I ever be unavailable to teach him for the day.”

“Unfortunate indeed,” Kabu said, a small smile on his lips, “I can barely keep up with his boundless energy.”

“Then it sounds like you need some training, too,” Raihan’s tone was almost teasing, as close as it got anymore. “Are you sure you won’t be joining us for lessons?”

“I’m not sure my old bones could take your newfangled techniques,” Kabu said, his tone warm, “I’d best leave all that to you and the Prince.”

“Well, if you insist,” Raihan shook his head, then the small smile faded as he started talking business again. “My plan is to train him on short sword, knife, bow, and practical defense. I want to put a high priority on knife, as no one’s going to think twice about a boy his age carrying a belt knife.”

Kabu nodded, his own smile fading as he stared at the indent in the dirt that Hop had left behind after sprawling in it.

“That’s a wise plan. It does ease my mind that Hop is learning to defend himself… I knew that we were going to train him at some point, but… it seems our plans got pushed forward.”

“Indeed,” Rihan said grimly. 

He opened his mouth to continue when a scream cut through the air, and both men snapped their heads toward the sound. In the next training yard over, a guard was on his knees, blood gushing from an open wound on his thigh. 

“Why didn’t— I was sure you would block that, Daron!” His opponent gestured frantically and dropped her bloodied sword in distress. 

“Oh hell,” Kabu breathed, already jogging toward the scene, “Raihan, can you fetch some of the medical supplies from the training stash?”

“On it!” Raihan sprinted for the nearest storage shed and grabbed a leather bag with the emergency medical supplies. By the time he made it back to the training yard, the injured guard was on his back with his injured leg elevated, and a half dozen other guards around him, all trying to help. Kabu was dictating the situation, while personally putting pressure on the wound.

“—always a risk when sparring with live steel,” he was saying, “it doesn’t sound like either of you were at fault. No need for distress, we’ll get you to the infirmary quickly.”

Raihan dropped to his knees to help, applying a tourniquet to slow the bleeding until the wound could be treated.

“Thank you, Raihan,” Kabu said, and quickly ordered two other men to help him and Raihan lift him up. Soon the four of them had carefully transported the man to the infirmary, leaving him in the care of the doctors and nurses.

Kabu stayed by the injured man’s side until he was shooed away by the nurses, stepping outside the infirmary with a hefty sigh. He ran a hand through his grey hair, glancing at Raihan.

“Dammit… haven’t had an accident like that in a long while.”

“Then you should be proud of the long streak without an incident,” Raihan said. “I’m glad he’ll be alright.”

“As am I,” Kabu said. He shook his head. “Unfortunately, however, he was set to be one of the guards on duty to watch over King Leon’s quarters this evening… I suppose I can send a pageboy after Philip, though he’s likely already in town for the evening…”

Raihan shook his head.

“Philip deserves a night off. He had to pull a late night for that embassy meeting last night.”

“It’s true,” Kabu said, glancing at Raihan, “...are you offering to take that place again, then?”

“Yes,” Raihan said, and then wondered if he should have at least pretended to think about it before jumping on the opportunity. 

“Hm…” Kabu regarded him for a moment, but ultimately nodded. “Very well, I’ll make the arrangements for you to be able to sleep tomorrow morning.”

“Perfect,” Raihan nodded. “Thank you, Sir Kabu.”

“Thank _you,_ ” Kabu replied, “I know that both Philip and Daron will appreciate it immensely. And we’ll hope that Daron is back on his feet soon…”

He frowned.

“If not… well, we’ll discuss that tomorrow after you’ve both had some rest.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow afternoon, then,” Raihan nodded. “Thank you, Sir Kabu.”

With that, Raihan strode off to meet with Leon. He arrived just as Leon just as he started a long session in his study, pouring over legal documents. He remained deep in his work, the sun beginning to dip in the sky as a servant finally brought them dinner. 

“Ah,” Leon said as he finally looked up from the papers, “thank you.”

Leon finally set the papers aside on his desk, and delicately began eating the food brought to him. He gestured to the cushy chairs around the small table that was in front of the desk.

“Feel free to have a seat while you eat, Sir Raihan.”

“Thank you, Sire,” Raihan said, and took a seat to take his own dinner. 

Leon began eating his meal, which was quite modest for the castle’s standards, and initially began it while focusing on just the meal. Though gradually, he began eating while also working with the documents on his desk, eating daintily and carefully so as not to get it on anything.

Raihan ate quickly and quietly, not wanting to interrupt Leon’s work. He set his dishes aside where the servants would take care of them and resumed his post. 

After a bit longer, Leon was back into his work, neglecting the rest of his dinner. He worked up until the sun was low enough that it was becoming difficult to see, and he finally sighed, setting aside the documents.

“I suppose it’s time to retire…” he mused aloud. His dinner was left unfinished, but Raihan didn’t comment on it.

Leon gathered up the dishes from their meal, then led the way out of his office, closing and locking it behind them. He made a stop at the kitchens to drop them off, calmly reassuring the staff that his dinner had tasted fine. Finally, he led the way up to his chambers.

“We’re running a bit behind schedule tonight…” he mused, “Daron and Camilla will likely show up before we’re done with my hair…”

“Actually, I’m replacing Daron tonight,” Raihan said. “There was an accident in the training yards today. I’ve been assured that he’ll be fine, but he will need some time off his feet.”

“Oh no,” Leon said with a frown, “that is unfortunate… we’ll need to find a suitable replacement until he’s recovered… I’ll have to have a talk with Kabu tomorrow.”

He slipped inside his quarters, closing the door behind them and beginning their now-familiar routine.

Raihan took his place behind Leon without prompting and took up the comforting task of taming Leon’s wild mane. He used his fingers as much as the brush, luxuriating in his silken hair, before wrapping it all in a neat braid and laying it over his shoulder. 

“Thank you,” Leon said quietly, stroking the braid a time or two before he let out a soft sigh. Silence lingered for a long moment before his voice came again, more softly than before. 

“...touch me… please.”

Raihan never started this delicate part of their routine without permission, but once it was given, he moved forward smoothly. He’d caressed Leon’s face yesterday, and his hands and wrists the day before, so tonight he trailed his fingers down the back of Leon’s neck and to his shoulders.

Leon let out a barely audible sigh, his head leaning forward as Raihan’s fingers brushed along his neck. His shoulders and back were normally tense, but they were far more tight than usual that night, his muscles taught under Raihan’s touch.

After a moment’s consideration, Raihan closed his hands around Leon’s shoulders and kneaded into the thick muscle. 

Leon stiffened up a bit further, drawing in a breath. A moment later, he relaxed.

“You’re very tense, my King,” Raihan said softly as he massaged his shoulders. 

“...I suppose I’ve been on edge since the incident with Hop,” he quietly admitted. “I’ve been worried about him. ...how has his training been going so far?”

“Very well. He’s frustrated that he isn’t already able to swing a blade, but it was only his first lesson. He’s very eager to learn, and listens to instructions.”

Leon’s shoulders relaxed another fraction.

“That’s good… he is very eager… but not always the best at focusing on the things that are most important rather than the things that are most exciting.”

“He’ll get there,” Raihan reassured him, and his hands moved to massage his neck. “And once he’s advanced enough to start running practice drills, he’ll learn quite quickly that there are consequences to not focusing!”

“I’m sure he will,” Leon said, his voice as warm as it got as he spoke of Hop. “And I trust that you will teach him well.”

“Thank you, Sire. I will not disappoint either of you.”

His hands slid back to Leon’s broad shoulders and dug harder into the muscle there. Leon tensed again, but gradually began to relax as Raihan continued to massage deeper into his muscles.

“You seem to have much on your mind, My Liege,” Raihan said softly. “More than usual.”

“...yes. My thoughts often linger on what might have happened had you not been there to protect Hop. I do not wish to imprison him here in the castle, but… now more than ever I fear for his safety beyond these walls…”

“Which is why we’re teaching him to protect himself. …and I will be more vigilant the next time I am responsible for his safety.”

“Yes… and I try to remind myself that we are doing all we can… and that what happened was likely an opportunistic fluke…” His shoulder slumped. “...but sometimes my mind does not listen to my more rational thoughts.”

“The mind rarely does,” Raihan’s voice turned gentle and reassuring, “but it proves that you care.”

“I suppose so,” Leon said, his shoulders tensing again and his gaze trailing to the floor.

Raihan slowed as he felt Leon tense up again under his hands, undoing all the work he’d done. 

“Perhaps I…” Raihan hesitated. 

“...what?” Leon asked after a moment’s silence.

“If His Majesty would like a massage, it may help…”

Raihan’s hands stopped, resting on Leon’s shoulders. 

Leon considered for a long moment.

“...that might be a good idea… I _have_ been more stressed, as of the last few days… it isn’t good to be too tense…”

Finally he nodded.

“...all right. You may give me a massage. I have never had one before… what would you like me to do?”

Raihan felt a flutter in his chest. 

“Ah… well, we should go somewhere you can comfortably lie down. If you have any scented oils, that would also be helpful. And… of course, a massage is most effective if I can access bare skin…”

“Hm… well, as it is nearly time for sleep, my bed does make sense.” Leon got to his feet, starting toward his bedroom. “I have some oils that the doctor gave me once for aches and pains, would those suffice?”

“Those would be perfect, Sire,” Raihan said, following after him. 

“Help me into my night clothes, though I will refrain from wearing my night shirt.” He moved toward his dressing area, waiting for Raihan to help him in place of his manservant.

Raihan had grown accustomed to this part of their routine as well, though he still was hyper aware of any time his skin touched Leon’s. He silently helped him change, then took the discarded clothing to the bathing room, where the servants would collect it in the morning. 

“That’s where the oil is,” Leon called after him, “can you get it while you’re in there?”

“Yes, Sire!” Raihan called back. He searched through the shelves for a moment before he found a glass vial with a scrawled note in barely legible handwriting, of which Raihan could only make out the words ‘pain,’ ‘stiffness,’ and ‘lavender.’ He picked up the vial and returned to the bedroom. 

Leon had moved over to his bed, and sat upon it, waiting for Raihan. He slipped his braid in front of himself again and motioned vaguely to the bed.

“I assume I lie face down on the bed?...” he asked.

“Yes, my Liege,” Raihan confirmed. He kept his eyes occupied as he approached Leon’s bedside. He removed his leather bracers and rolled up his sleeves, then examined the bottle, anything to keep from staring at Leon. 

Leon lay out on his bed on his stomach, pillowing his head on his folded arms, his head turned to one side. Raihan poured a small pool of oil into his hands and rubbed them together to warm it. He stood over Leon and finally allowed himself a long look at the broad, muscled back that he’d only allowed himself glimpses of while the king changed. Letting out a long breath, he put his hands on Leon’s back and worked the thick muscles. 

A small sigh escaped Leon as Raihan began massaging. Leon remained tense for a little while, though gradually Raihan’s touch soothed his taut muscles into relaxing. Raihan tried to distance himself from what he was doing, and imagined that it was someone else’s hands freely working along Leon’s back. It almost worked. 

Leon let out a soft noise as Raihan’s hands massaged a particular spot, tensing at first, but relaxing soon after. His back was riddled with tension, from his neck all the way down his back.

Raihan bit back a sigh, and struggled not to dwell on what that soft sound might mean in another context. He focused harder, his fingers seeking out knots of tension and coaxing them into relaxing. Leon shifted under his hands, trying to find a more comfortable position as the tension in his muscles was eased.

“...mm,” Leon mumbled quietly, “you’re good at this… you learn it in the army?”

“Yes, actually,” Raihan said as he worked a knot in the center of Leon’s back. People get hurt, even in training. Pulled tendons, sore muscles, and the like. We help each other out.”

He specifically did not mention that sometimes, a massage was a weak excuse for something that rapidly escalated into foreplay, and hastily clamped down on the memories of the last time Sebastian had given him a “massage.” 

“...oh… that does make sense…” Leon said hazily. 

He let out a soft moan as Raihan massaged further down his back, and the deep, low sound went straight southward. Raihan turned his eyes heavenward with a prayer to keep himself under control. Shifting again, Leon slipped upward to grab a pillow to rest his head on, letting his arms drape by his sides instead. The motion had jostled his sleeping pants, dragging them lower and exposing a thick, old scar on his lower back.

A knife wound, Raihan guessed, and a traumatic one at that. He trailed his fingers over the scar and thought about what Allister told him, that an assassin had made an attempt on Leon’s life at the same time his parents had been killed. Leon drew in a short breath as Raihan touched the scar, his back arching the slightest bit before he relaxed. His hands grasped the bedsheets beneath him as he let out a measured sigh.

“This is new,” Raihan murmured. 

Leon turned his head to one side, looking toward Raihan. It was a long moment before he spoke.

“I was… I was attacked,” Leon managed, his brow furrowing. “It happened when my parents left for Kalos…”

“I knew about your parents,” Raihan said quietly and gently caressed the scar. “Everyone knew. But I didn’t know about you. When you stopped replying to me, I thought you were grieving, but I never imagined…”

Leon gripped the bedsheets tighter, swallowing audibly.

“...the wound put me out for weeks. I only have vague memories of… of the whole thing. I thought I felt you reaching out to me, but… it was never when I was fully conscious.”

“If I had known… if I had been there…” Raihan bit his lip on further what ifs. “And they never caught the assassin?”

“N-...” Leon frowned slightly, looking thoughtful. “...no… they said he ran… they tried to pursue him, but he got away. A…” He reached up to hold his head, his brow furrowing further. “...a Kalos boy was with me… not much older than me… h-he… he and I were in the gardens, a-and—”

Leon grunted in pain, gripping the front of his face, and blood began trickling out from his nose.

“Sire!” Raihan exclaimed and lifted his hands off Leon. 

Leon quickly sat up on the bed, moving a hand to cover his bleeding nose. He let out a sigh, turning to face Raihan.

“...just a bloody nose… it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Of course, Your Majesty, but I… I could fetch you a towel or…”

“Yes, perhaps just a…” Leon trailed off as he moved his hand off his face and looked down at it. “...just a…” His eyes unfocused and his bloody hand began to tremble.

Raihan recognized that look from countless misadventures from their youth. 

“Close your eyes,” he said firmly. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your mouth. Don’t look. I’ll get you cleaned up.”

Leon quickly obeyed, snapping his eyes shut and taking a deep breath.

“...dammit…”

Raihan rushed to the bathing room and washed off his oiled hands and returned with a handful of clean cloths, some wet, some dry. 

“Easy, Sire… let me take care of you.”

Raihan tenderly cleaned his hands and face with a cold wet cloth. Leon let out a huffing sigh as Raihan finished wiping blood off of his face, his frown just beginning to lean more toward a pout than the stern frown he often wore these days.

“...I haven’t felt faint at the sight of blood in years,” he said with obvious irritation.

“It’s alright,” Raihan said, drying him with the dry cloth. “We were discussing something… upsetting. I apologize.”

“Y-yes, I…” Leon trailed off again for a bit, leaning minutely into Raihan’s touches. “...I don’t have a good recollection of the incident.”

His voice got softer, more vulnerable.

“...they said I likely locked those memories away because they were too distressing.”

“I understand,” Raihan said, and set the soiled cloth aside. “There are some things I… well. I wish I could do the same.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Leon reached out and gently rested his fingers on top of Raihan’s. Raihan’s heart fluttered and he looked down at his king. Leon’s golden eyes were closer and warmer than they had been in years.

“...I’m sorry.”

Raihan fell into those eyes and never wanted to come back out. 

“Thank you,” he said softly. 

They were so close. All Raihan needed to do was lean in just a few more inches and they would—

Raihan sucked in a breath at where his thoughts were leading him and pulled back. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, shifting back to his professional tone, “but perhaps I should leave you to your rest.”

The warmth in Leon’s eyes flickered, and he looked away, pulling his hand back.

“...yes, I suppose so.”

Raihan cleaned up, putting the used cloth in the bathing room and replacing his leather bracers. 

“Do you have further need of me, Your Majesty?” He asked, standing at attention. 

“No, Sir Raihan,” Leon said quietly, still sitting on his bed. “...I thank you for the massage.”

“It was my honor.”

He bowed and left the room, returning to his post. Camilla gave him a sideways glance as he returned.

“Making a habit of this, are we?” she asked coyly.

“Daron was injured while training today,” Raihan explained. “I was the best replacement.”

“I did hear about that,” Camilla said, “it sounds like we might need a few more Royal Guards the next recruiting season if they’re constantly calling on the Champion to fill in for them.”

“I wouldn’t say that twice qualifies as ‘constantly,’” Raihan said.

“I suppose not,” Camilla admitted. “Twice is coincidence. Thrice, however…”

Raihan let out a soft laugh. 

“Then I hope no one else is forced to call off night duty, to appease your overactive imagination.”

“Indeed,” Camilla said with a smile.

Raihan returned her smile, then settled into another long night of guard duty.

* * *

The night continued on uneventfully until, once again, the soft sounds of distress reached Raihan’s ears in the late hours of the morning. Like the time before, Raihan slipped back into Leon’s bedroom to verify the king was safe while Camilla kept watch. Once again, it was just Leon, alone with his nightmares in his bedroom.

His bedsheets were strewn about more than last time, and he was moving more dramatically than before. Choked noises escaped his throat as he twitched in the middle of his large bed.

“Sire,” Raihan reached for him, then hesitated as he remembered how violently Leon reacted last time. “Your Majesty, please wake up.”

He received a whimper in response, and a shudder passed through Leon.

“...wh…. wh—” Leon’s attempt at words was spoken through gasps.

“Sire, please… you are dreaming.” 

Instead of grabbing his shoulder this time, he gently touched Leon’s back. Leon let out a strangled cry, his back arching, though not away from the place that Raihan had touched. His hands scrambled for something to hold onto, letting out hushed cries as he began to shake from head to toe.

“...s-stop, please…” he forced out, “...why?...”

Raihan pulled back and stared at him a moment before he realized what happened. With the way Leon had arched his back and writhed, he wasn’t pulling away from Raihan’s touch, he was pulling away from his scar, where he’d been stabbed all those years ago. Leon said he blocked out the memories, but was he reliving them in his sleep?

Raihan took a seat on the edge of the bed and gently caught Leon’s flailing hand. Leon initially flinched back, but he soon held onto Raihan’s hand weakly.

“...wh… who…?” he questioned, his body still shaking.

“It’s me. It’s Raihan, I’m right here,” he said and held Leon’s hand right. 

“R… Rai…?” Leon asked weakly, his grip on Raihan’s hand gaining strength. His eyes started trying harder to open. “...a… are you…?”

“I’m right here. You’re safe, Sire. Majesty,” Raihan gave his hand a squeeze. “… _Leon._ ”

Leon suddenly had his hand in a tight grip, holding on as if for dear life.

“S... safe?....” He let out a harsh gasp, breathing like he’d just finished a sprint.

“Yes, you’re safe. You were dreaming,” Raihan took Leon’s hand with both his own, holding him gently.

“....dr…. dream?” he asked, and gripped both of Raihan’s hands, weakly trying to pull him closer, his breath still stinted.

“Yes, you had a nightmare,” Raihan slid further onto the bed, letting Leon pull him close. “You’re in the castle, in your bed. You’re safe. Everyone is safe. Breathe for me, Leon. In and out. Come on. In...and out.”

Leon obediently took a deep breath and let it out. Then another. He held fast to Raihan’s hands, his trembling beginning to slow and his breathing evening out. His eyes were finally open, but they were still foggy with sleep.

“...this is… not a dream…” With sudden surprising strength, Leon pulled Raihan much closer to him. “...this is…”

Raihan caved to Leon’s strong grip, and gathered him into his arms, pulling him close.

“This is real. I’m real. Breathe for me. Good. Focus on what’s real. Now tell me, what do you feel?”

Leon curled against him in his arms, burying his face against Raihan’s chest, his hands moving to tightly grip his clothes.

“...you…”

That was not the answer Raihan expected, but it was technically correct. 

“Good. And what do you hear?” He asked, wrapping his arms around Leon.

Leon took a breath and fell silent. There was the sound of wind outside, the wooden floors settling, and the very faint sound of nighttime crickets.

“...your heart,” came Leon’s soft reply.

“And what do you see?” Raihan continued.

Leon’s eyes fluttered open further, though they were still dull and sleepy.

“...you…” he said again.

Raihan’s heart fluttered in his chest. He hadn’t planned on becoming Leon’s focus, but Leon was calming in his arms, so he didn’t dispute it.

“And where are you?”

Leon pressed his face under Raihan’s chin, letting out a broken sign as he held onto him, his eyes fluttering closed as he steadily relaxed in Raihan’s embrace.

“...in your arms…”

Raihan’s mouth went dry and his stomach did a nervous somersault in his gut. He was silent a moment, recovering from Leon’s answer. When he finally found his voice, his words were soft and tender.

“And are you safe with me?”

There was no hesitation in Leon’s voice this time.

“Yes.”

Raihan looked down at him, and reflected that he hadn’t seen Leon this vulnerable since they were children. 

“Then rest,” he murmured into Leon’s ear. “Sleep, my King. I am with you. I will keep you safe.”

Leon took one more deep breath, letting it out in a more level sigh, burying his face further into Raihan.

“...with me… always…”

Raihan stroked Leon’s back and his words caught in his throat. He took a few moments to blink back the emotion threatening to spill from his eyes.

“Yes, I am with you. I will always be with you.”

Finally, he could resist the temptation no longer and leaned down to gently kiss the top of Leon’s head.

“Rest.”

With one final, gentle sigh, Leon fell fast asleep in Raihan’s arms. Raihan held him for a long while, needing several minutes to regain his composure, then finally tried to lay Leon back down. The moment Raihan began to pull away, Leon whimpered, holding tighter to his clothes. Raihan froze. He considered his options, hesitated, then finally laid down with Leon in his arms. 

It took a little bit of fidgeting before they were both comfortable, especially as Raihan was still in his daily leathers and chainmail. He removed his sword and scabbard from his belt, laying the weapon within easy reach beside them. Letting out one more gentle sigh, he stroked Leon’s back, and held him the rest of the night.


	11. The Long Cold - Chapter 7

Committed to his duty, Raihan stayed wide awake the rest of the night. He stayed in Leon’s bed with his King in his arms, occasionally stroking his braided hair or his back, and was grateful the rest of the night passed without incident. Leon remained peacefully asleep in his arms, even as the morning began to break. It wasn’t until after both their usual wake times had passed did a sunbeam make its way right onto Leon’s face.

The king’s serene expression quickly morphed into one of displeasure, and a grumble rose from his throat. He turned and shoved his face against Raihan’s chest defiantly, trying to block out the sunbeam.

Raihan wondered how much time they had before the King’s servants entered, and was growing increasingly anxious about letting the King be found in a compromising position. 

“Sire?” Raihan asked softly, absently stroking his braid.

With a small gasp, Leon’s head snapped up. He looked blearily at Raihan in the bright sunlight.

“R-Raihan?... What…?”

“Sire, it is morning,” he said and gently started pulling away from him.

Leon slowly sat up, watching Raihan closely, his hair starting to come loose from its braid after it had been jostled in the night.

“...you are in my bed with me.” His voice was back to being curt, though it was not accusatory.

Raihan stiffened, and very real fear clutched at his heart. “You… Do you not remember last night?”

Golden eyes searched Raihan’s face, confusion overtaking his stern features.

“...I… What have I forgotten?”

Raihan hastily scrambled off the bed and stood at attention, but his fears were already eased as Leon met the situation with questions instead of accusations.

“Your Majesty, you had a nightmare. I woke you, and you…” He trailed off, trying to figure out how to make it sound right. 

“Ah,” Leon said, nodding, “my nightmares have been consistent for many years.” He once again searched Raihan’s face. “...I normally awaken from them on my own, and am back asleep soon after… but I don’t ever remember what they are about, nor do I recall you waking me last night. What happened?”

Raihan’s tone was professional, but a blush darkened his ears in the morning light.

“I was alarmed at your distress, and gently woke you. Once awake, you...sought comfort, which I provided. You felt safe with me so… I held you through the night.”

Leon’s eyes went wide, and he quickly averted his gaze. One of his hands clenched the bedsheets tightly, his voice soft.

“...I see.” There was a quick pause before he spoke again. “...thank you.”

“Sire,” Raihan asked slowly, his tone tense. “If I overstepped…”

“ _No,_ ” came Leon’s immediate and intense reply. He took a breath and let it out slowly. “...no. You did not.”

“I see…” Raihan relaxed. “These night terrors. You said they happen… often?”

Leon nodded. “Nearly every night.”

Raihan furrowed his brow and chewed on his lower lip. “This troubles me.”

Leon looked over to meet Raihan’s eyes again, his confusion leaking into his expression.

“My nightmares trouble you?”

“Of course they do! You are my—” He almost said ‘friend,’ and choked on the word. “—King! It is my duty to keep you safe. Even from your own demons.”

Leon considered Raihan’s words, his usual stern expression muddled by confusion.

“...how do you propose to keep me safe from such vague phantoms?”

“I…” He almost said it, but actually saying the words out loud was too much. “...I fear I would be overstepping my bounds to say.”

The tone of the King of Galar returned. 

“Speak.”

Raihan didn’t hesitate, responding obediently to the command.

“You calmed considerably while in my arms, and did not stir the rest of the night. It is possible that my presence calms you in your sleep.”

“...hm.”

Leon stood up, moving past Raihan to his window, staring out at the morning light spilling over the rolling Galar fields for a long moment.

“Normally, I am up far earlier than this. And normally, I feel far less rested.” He folded his arms, leaning on the stone wall, still looking out the window. “I will consider your proposal. Though you cannot guard me all day _and_ night. You also need rest.”

“That is true, my King. There is also the matter of appearances to consider,” Raihan said. “If I were to be seen entering your chambers each evening and leaving with the morning, there would be talk.”

Leon turned back toward him, only able to let out a non-committal noise before his manservant arrived in his room with barely a knock.

“Sire?” came his slightly worried voice, “Has there been a change in—ah.”

He trailed off as he came further into Leon’s quarters and saw Raihan standing at attention near Leon.

“A-apologies if I’m intruding, your Majesty…”

“You are not,” Leon said firmly, moving toward his manservant, “Champion Raihan and I just finished our discussion.”

“Of course, Sire.”

“You are dismissed, Sir Raihan.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Raihan bowed deeply and promptly left without another word. 

His exhaustion and the full impact of the night’s events didn’t catch up to him until he was halfway to his room, and he made it to his quarters in a daze. Only discipline and the knowledge that he would regret mistreating his armor made him disarm and doff his armor properly. He fell into his bed without sleeping clothes and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Raihan awoke dazed and disoriented. Only after he stumbled out of bed did he surmise it was early afternoon. He’d slept longer than he planned, but the fact that no one had come to summon him meant that his absence was being accounted for. He likely could have slept for another few hours, but instead washed and made himself presentable, then donned his armor and went to seek out Kabu and Leon.

About halfway to the training grounds, Kabu met him in the hallway. He jogged up to Raihan, giving him a small nod.

“Good afternoon, Raihan. Have you recovered from your long day and night?”

“Ah… yes, Sir Kabu,” Raihan said, confused. He had expected to find Kabu alongside Leon, why was Kabu seeking _him_ out?

Kabu seemed to easily spot his confusion.

“King Leon requested I come see if you were awake so that I could meet with you regarding a change in guard routine. He mentioned that he had discussed it briefly with you… do you know what he’s talking about?”

“No, not unless—” Raihan’s eyes widened as he understood. “Ah. Did he give you any other details?”

“He did not.”

“I may know what he is referring to. This is a matter best discussed in private.”

Kabu’s gaze sharpened, and he nodded. “Let us go to my office.”

He turned and led the way through the castle, barely paying attention as he walked such a familiar path. Despite his change of position, Kabu had been allowed to keep his same office, possibly to avoid all the hassle of moving his things.

It was a homely office, with furniture made from old, strong woods and few decorations. The minimal decor mostly consisted of items he’d brought with him from his homeland. A scroll hung on the wall with a slew of characters on it, a small bonsai tree rested in the windowsill, and a display for a wakizashi and the katana he always carried sat on a chest beneath the windowsill.

Kabu closed and locked the door behind them, then took a seat behind his desk.

“Now… what’s this all about?”

Uncertainty crawled back onto Raihan’s face and, for once, he let a degree of his professionalism drop.

“Before we start, I want to tell you that I know - _I know_ \- how this sounds.”

Kabu raised an eyebrow at him.

“...that’s a _terrible_ way to start, son.”

Raihan dropped into the chair that sat opposite Kabu’s desk and rubbed his face. 

“ _I know._ ”

“Then you’d better continue talking, hm?” Kabu said gently.

Raihan sighed and schooled his expression. He squared his shoulders and sat up straight, though it was growing increasingly difficult to keep his professionalism while alone with the man he was starting to think of as a mentor and a friend.

“During my watch last night, and _every_ night I’ve kept watch over the King, he has taken to night terrors. And not just any nightmare, he thrashes around in his bed and struggles against something unseen. I awoke him, but he was very frightened and confused. I was able to calm and soothe him, and he…” Raihan felt his entire face heat up this time in a flush, but pushed through the embarassing and potentially incriminating words anyway. “He calmed in my embrace. Once he stilled, I tried to extract myself, but he was… he was quite close and grew distressed when I tried to withdraw from his grip, so I… I spent the remainder of the night with him.”

Kabu’s expression remained the same, level and calm, the entire time Raihan spoke. Finally he responded in a quiet voice.

“...he’s never told me of any nightmares. Though I’ve never spent a night in his room, either.”

“In the morning, he told me he has them almost nightly and has for years,” Raihan ran a hand through his hair. “Knowing he’s going through that? Suffering every night? I hate it. It kills me to know this, Kabu.”

Kabu’s calm expression cracked, finally revealing some of the pain he was feeling.

“...years…” He rubbed his forehead with a sigh. “...he’s never told me this. Dammit, Leon…”

Raihan looked up at Kabu, haunted by the memory of how Leon’s voice sounded, lost and vulnerable. “What do we do?”

“I… I don’t know…” Kabu admitted, shaking his head. “If he’s been bearing this burden for years… I have to imagine that it’s beginning to wear on him…”

“He said, after he woke up with...with me,” Raihan choked on the words, but there was no other way to say it, “that he felt more rested than usual. I can’t just sit by and do nothing, Kabu. And if he gave us a meeting to discuss it, he doesn’t _want_ us to sit by.”

A hefty sigh escaped Kabu as he rubbed his forehead again.

“...we can’t just have you in there every night. You’ll be exhausted all the time, not to mention the _field day_ the nobles will have…”

“I know. I can’t keep watch day and night. …Although, I wouldn’t actually _need_ to stay up if—” He realized what he was saying and cut off with a guilty flush. “No. No, it wouldn’t work anyway, I can’t be seen leaving his rooms.” 

“I do agree that you shouldn’t be seen leaving his rooms every morning. The royalty around here _love_ to gossip, and word would undoubtedly spread to them.” He met Raihan’s eyes, concern evident in his eyes. “I don’t think anyone needs to or should find out about this.”

Raihan nodded solemnly. “I agree. If I’m seen entering his quarters every night, even if I _am_ on duty all night, that will still raise suspicion and potentially start rumors. Perhaps if I could go every other night, and work out a schedule where I get a few hours to sleep in the mornings…I only really need five hours of sleep to function, so if we could squeeze that in, then maybe…”

Raihan folded his arms and tapped a finger against his arm as he mused out loud and ran the numbers in his head.

Kabu watched him closely as he worked things out, finally sitting back in his chair.

“Raihan… I must ask you one thing before we proceed.”

Raihan glanced up at him, broken from his thoughts.

“Of course, Sir Kabu.”

Kabu met his eyes, his own a bit steely.

“...are Leon’s nightmares the _only_ reason you wish to sleep beside him?”

Raihan froze. He remained silent for a few long moments, then met Kabu’s eyes.

“No,” he said with honesty and utter solemnity. “But I know my place, and my station. I know that what I want can never be, and I have accepted that. I will not, and have not, let my desires interfere with my duty or the oaths I have sworn.”

After so long in the castle dancing around it, Raihan’s heart tore as he finally said the words aloud. He and Leon would never be together. Not like how Raihan wished they could be. But he would be satisfied with serving by Leon’s side.

Kabu nodded slowly, taking in Raihan’s words, his expression unchanged.

“Understood.” His eyes finally fell to his desk, the steel falling from his expression. “...I believe you. However…” 

“…Sir?” Raihan asked. He sat more stiffly than usual, tense after finally admitting it to Kabu.

Kabu’s dark eyes looked back up at Raihan, years of weariness and weight in their depths.

“I can’t help but wonder if Leon would be happier were he in a position to accept your affections more openly.” Amidst the pain and weariness in his gaze, there was still warmth. “If you’d _both_ be happier.”

Raihan gave him a sad, bitter smile.

“You know that’s impossible.”

“Perhaps… but I can’t help but worry about you both.”

Kabu let out another hefty sigh and got to his feet.

“I think it’s best for Leon if you spent your nights with him. We’ll keep his normal guard outside his room.”

Raihan looked up at him in shock.

“But Ka— but Sir Kabu, what about being seen? What about the King’s reputation?”

“No need to worry about that. Come, let’s go to your room and I’ll show you why.”

Raihan rose to his feet, bewildered, and followed him to Raihan’s own room. Raihan unlocked the door for him and let him in. Raihan didn’t have many physical possessions, not after spending so long in the militia and getting deployed all over Galar. He had a shelf with a handful of books and trinkets, and a display with any weapons he wanted to keep close by. The majority of the room was taken up by various sets of armor for different occasions, from his comfortable leathers to the polished, decorated plate mail meant for formal occasions beside the King. In one corner was a pile of damaged weapons and armor from the armory that Raihan worked on repairing during his sliver of free time in the evenings.

Kabu once again closed and locked the door behind them, then moved to the back wall of Raihan’s room. 

“This was my room before you kicked me out of it, you know,” Kabu said with a small smile, and he beckoned Raihan closer. “I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Raihan watched over his shoulder, a confused frown on his face, but didn’t interrupt.

“Now, this is extremely secretive. You and I are the only people besides the King who know about this. Watch closely.”

Kabu moved one hand over the stone wall, pressing on seven stones in a specific pattern and order. Once he pushed on the last stone, it gave way, and the wall followed suit, opening up to reveal a secret passageway. 

Raihan gasped aloud, his jaw dropping open. 

“A secret passage…” 

Kabu’s voice was very quiet.

“...this passage leads straight to the King’s personal chambers.”

Raihan stared and needed a moment to take it all in.

“Is the code the same from the other side?”

“No, Leon’s combination is different. Even I don’t know that one.” He sighed, shaking his head. “...was a real damned mess when Leon had to figure it out on his own.”

“I can imagine,” Raihan said slowly. He mimicked the code Kabu had put in several times, repeating it until he was certain he had it memorized.

Kabu watched him, and nodded when Raihan mimed the combination correctly.

“You’ve got it.”

Raihan let out a long breath, taking in the implications of the passage, his mind already spinning ideas and possibilities.

“Thank you, Sir Kabu. This is...incredible.”

“Of course, Raihan. I trust you will put this knowledge to good use?...”

“I shall,” Raihan said. “Even barring what we’ve just discussed, this is a fantastic way for the King to retreat unseen should his rooms ever become compromised. The passage itself is also quite defendable.”

“You are correct,” Kabu said with a nod, “Perhaps Leon will tell you the combination from his side, should he ever be unable to enter it himself. His father trusted me with most things, but never that.”

“Thank you,” Raihan repeated. “I will not let this gift go to waste.”

“Good. I do hope that you find a way to help him.” He glanced sideways at Raihan, a slight smile curling his lips. “Especially now that you are more easily able to sneak into his rooms after dark, like you did when you and he were much younger.”

Raihan had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Ah… you knew about that, did you?”

Kabu gave him a small, warm smile.

“The more things change…” He trailed off, and his tone grew more soft. “I must thank you, however… for all you’ve done. I have seen more light in Leon’s eyes since your return than he’s had since his parents died.”

“I only wish I could have returned sooner,” Raihan let out a deep breath. “Perhaps if I’d been here…” 

Kabu’s voice was firm, but hadn’t lost its warmth.

“It’s no use to consider what could have happened. The past is behind and written. We must focus on the future, and where to place our brushes for the next chapter.”

Raihan considered his words, then nodded slowly. 

“You’re right. Of course you’re right,” Raihan finally gave him a small smile. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” Kabu said, returning his small smile. 

Raihan’s heart swelled at the pride and confidence in Kabu’s tone and he was momentarily at a loss for words. 

“T…Thank you,” he finally managed. 

“You’re welcome,” Kabu said smoothly, and looked back at the open entrance. “Might want to watch your head, it looks as though the passage wasn’t made with someone of your height in mind.”

Raihan was taken aback by the sudden teasing in Kabu’s voice.

“I suppose you had no problems with it, then,” he quipped back before he could stop himself.

Kabu let out a surprised chuckle, glancing at Raihan with warm eyes.

“What exactly are you insinuating, O Long-Legged One?”

“Merely an observation based on what _little_ evidence I see,” Raihan said, taking particular care to look down at him as obviously as he could.

“Perhaps your eyesight is merely faulty because of how far up in the clouds your head is,” Kabu replied smoothly.

“I’m sorry, did you say something? I can’t hear you from all the way down there.”

“Hm,” Kabu rested a hand under his chin, looking thoughtful and murmuring more quietly, “a Champion hard of sight _and_ hearing… perhaps he is _not_ as good as he claims to be…”

“Now, wait just one—” Raihan jumped as the secret passage closed itself with the sound of grinding stone.

Kabu chuckled, his dark eyes warm.

“Heard that just fine did you? I forgot to mention… it seals itself after an amount of time. Best not to linger too close to either entrance.”

“So I see,” Raihan said, then straightened up. “I suppose there will be no need to rearrange guard schedules now, which will be a relief to everyone.”

“Indeed,” Kabu said with a small nod, “aside from the necessary shift shuffling I’ll need to do while Daron is recovering from his injury.”

“How is he doing?”

“He’s doing quite well. He should be back on his feet within a week.”

“Good,” Raihan said. “Now, I’m sure we both have duties we must attend to…”

“Indeed we do,” Kabu said, turning to leave his room, and paused in the doorway.

“Please don’t hesitate to come to me if you ever feel the need, Raihan.”

“I will. …Thank you, Kabu.” 

“And thank you, Raihan.” 

With that, he slipped away, closing the door with a quiet click behind himself. Raihan stared at the secret entrance. It looked no different than the rest of the wall, even though Raihan knew it was there. With much on his mind, he returned to his duties.

* * *

The end of the night found Riahan once again in Leon’s rooms, tending to his hair. His fingers deftly braided the long strands, much faster about it than he was when they first started their unusual nightly ritual. Though he worked quickly and precisely, his mind was elsewhere, mulling over the discussion with Kabu. How was he supposed to open up the subject of sharing a bed with his king?

“Your braiding technique has improved, Raihan,” Leon quietly observed as Raihan worked with his long hair.

“Thank you, Sire,” Raihan said. “The practice helps.”

“I suppose you don’t get much experience for such an activity in the militia.”

“No,” he said, weaving the silky plaits of hair. “Everyone kept their hair short, even the women.”

Leon nodded just slightly, conscious of Raihan’s braiding hands.

“That does make sense. I’m sure my length would be quite unheard of.”

“Indeed. I…” Raihan trailed off and indulged for just a moment, letting his fingers slide through Leon’s hair. “I enjoy it.”

Leon went very still, barely moving for a moment.

“...you do?”

Raihan knew he was toeing a line, but didn’t stop.

“Yes, Sire. I’ve always liked your hair long.”

One of Leon’s hands clenched slowly on the chaise’s cushion.

“...I did remember you telling me that once, long ago.”

“Then my opinion remains the same,” Raihan said softly and resumed his braiding.

Another moment of silence passed before Leon spoke again, his voice even quieter.

“I never did cut it, after you said you liked it. It’s been trimmed a little now and then, but I… I wouldn’t let them cut it shorter.”

Raihan’s hands missed a beat in surprise.

“I… thank you,” he finally said. “It’s gorgeous.”

He finished the braid without further ado, tying the end and laying it over Leon’s shoulder. He had no excuse now. Time to breach the subject.

“Sire,” he said cautiously. “Did Sir Kabu have the opportunity to speak with you today regarding our meeting?”

“Yes,” Leon replied, “he expressed to me your desire to help me with my nightmares. And he updated me that you now know about the passage leading to my quarters.”

The flat tone gave Raihan no indication of how Leon felt about the proposition. 

“I do not wish to overstep the bounds of my duty. If this proposition makes you—” Raihan cut off and tried again. “If Your Majesty does not wish this service of me, we need not ever speak of it again.”

“ _No,_ ” Leon’s voice came sharply, then eased into a calmer tone. “...the proposition does not make me uncomfortable. My hesitation mostly surrounds the concern that you and Sir Kabu are troubling yourselves over something petty.”

“P-petty? _Sire, I_ —” Raihan’s tone was heated, and he immediately clamped down on it, horrified that he’d almost raised his voice at his King. 

Leon turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised slightly. He let the silence linger a moment before he broke it.

“Speak,” he commanded.

“Knowing you suffer every night upsets me,” Raihan continued at his order, his tone much softer. “But it is not my place to determine how you choose to spend your nights. Forgive my brashness.”

Leon considered him before responding.

“It is forgiven. After you reacted so intently this morning, I thought I should bring it to Kabu’s attention. He was also displeased to learn of my nightmares. They are a frequent occurrence to me, so I suppose all the fuss about them has me…”

He trailed off, letting out a hefty sigh.

“...troubled.”

“Sire, if you would rather we not address this…” 

“I have a feeling that this will continue to upset you, even if I disallow you to address it.”

“How I feel doesn’t matter,” Raihan said dismissively.

Leon’s voice was positively cutting.

“It matters to _me._ ”

Raihan’s voice caught in his throat. He stared at Leon with wide eyes, absolutely speechless.

“I dislike the idea that this is causing you distress,” Leon continued, “so I will allow you to address it how you and Sir Kabu see fit.”

“Y… yes, Your Majesty,” Raihan let out a long, slow breath.

Leon set his jaw a little, standing and putting the brush back in its proper place.

“Perhaps we can see if the same thing occurs tonight.”

“Of course,” Raihan said. “I will leave through your front chamber doors, then return through the hidden passage.”

Leon nodded, turning back toward him and held up his bond hand.”

“Signal to me when you are coming, and I will open the passage on my end for you.”

Raihan considered for a moment.

“Tip of the pinkie is our signal for ‘yes.’ Perhaps it could double as our permission to enter? And if the reply is no, then our usual ‘no’ signal at the base of the pinkie.”

“Agreed,” Leon said. “Then I will see you later tonight, Sir Raihan.”

“As you wish, My King,” Raihan bowed and took his leave.

His head spun as he walked through the long hallways, taking in the gravity of what he was about to do, what he was going to _routinely_ do for the foreseeable future, if all went well tonight. He reached his room in a haze, and only snapped out of it when he washed up and dressed for bed. His night clothes were largely unused, as he generally preferred to sleep mostly in the nude, but that was _definitely_ inappropriate for laying beside his King. He let his hair down, pulled his sword and scabbard off his belt, and finally used a needle to prick his smallest finger. 

The wound vanished, and only a moment passed before an identical prick took its place before also vanishing. Raihan took a breath to steel his nerves, then entered the secret passage.

At the other end of the passage lay an open entrance, much like the one in Raihan’s room, though his one led right out into Leon’s bedroom. And there lay Leon, resting on his bed in his sleep clothes reading a book. He was lounging pristinely, his long braid draped in front of him and along one arm, looking as though he’d been posed by a portrait artist. 

Raihan stopped cold at the sight of Leon. He was beautiful, like he’d just stepped out of a painting and made himself comfortable. He was absolutely breathtaking and Raihan couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Leon glanced up at Raihan, searching his face for a moment.

“...if you don’t come all the way in, the wall will close on you.”

“Ah!” Raihan quickly stepped the rest of the way into the room and used the motion to buy some time and regain his composure. He hesitated once in Leon’s bedroom proper, holding his sword by the sheath, and wasn’t quite sure what to do now.

“...please, make yourself comfortable,” Leon said a moment later, “you are here to rest, are you not?”

“Ah… of course, Sire.” 

Of course Leon didn’t go to bed the moment Leon left him. It only made sense that Leon enjoyed some time to relax at the end of his day. Raihan usually spent this time working on his projects, usually armor or weapons maintenance for the guard. If he’d been thinking, he would have grabbed something to work on. Fortunately, the leather braiding on his scabbard needed rewrapping and he’d been putting it off, so at least he’d have something to occupy his hands while Leon read.

He took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs and rested his sword on his lap. The decorative leather braiding around the scabbard frayed or came loose with daily wear and tear. It only took a few minutes to pull all the strips of leather off, and Raihan started into the process of re-braiding and wrapping them tightly around the scabbard. His fingers were quick and deft, having done this dozens of times, and he was soon absorbed in the detailed work. The familiar task was a welcome distraction from the anxiety he’d built up through the day, and he slowly relaxed. Only once he finished and sat upright did he notice Leon staring at him.

“Sire?”

“You care for your weapons very well. How long have you had that sword?”

“This one?” Raihan asked, glancing down at the sword in his lap. “Almost two years now. Good balance.”

Leon considered the sword in Raihan’s lap for a moment.

“As Champion, you are able to freely request weapons. Would you desire another sword? Or keep the one you’re accustomed to?”

Raihan shrugged.

“I’d change, if I found one better. I never get too attached to my weapons.”

“Why not?” Leon asked curiously.

“A sword is a tool, and tools can be replaced,” Raihan quoted, and gave a nostalgic smile. “While it’s true that a sword is a tool responsible for saving your life, if there ever comes a choice between keeping your sword or discarding it to save yourself, you should never hesitate. I had a commander who was adamant about it. Every time he caught a recruit trying to name their sword like it was some legendary magic weapon, he'd take the blade and melt it into slag for horseshoes.”

Leon’s eyebrows raised slightly.

“That seems rather harsh.”

“Not when you’re trying to beat the idea into stubborn young heads. The swords were all garrison property anyway, not the recruit’s. And it drove the point home: never get too attached to a blade.”

Raihan drew his own sword and examined the gleaming steel under the candlelight. 

“At the end of the day, a sword is just a sword. The wielder is the true weapon, and should be just as deadly with any blade,” he said and sheathed his blade once more.

“Hm,” Leon toned as he glanced between Raihan and his blade. “Though I would imagine the more well-made a sword, the better it would service an already well-forged weapon.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Raihan agreed. “I like this sword because it is well made and the balance is excellent for my fighting style. But if I were presented with a better one, I would discard it without a second thought. If it was stolen by an enemy, and my only option were to fight with a lesser blade and escape with my life, I also would not hesitate to leave it behind.”

“Perhaps that is why it is always within your power to request others.”

“I haven't wanted to be a bother, but perhaps it would be good to secure an upgrade and keep this as a backup,” Raihan said with a small smile.

Leon frowned, his tone stern.

“You are not a bother.”

“Ah…” Raihan glanced over at Leon, surprised at his tone. “Thank you. In that case, I will speak to Sir Kabu on this matter.” 

“Good.”

Leon gracefully stood, tossing his long braid over his shoulder and moved into his washroom. He used the water basin near the mirror to wash his face, clearly preparing to finally get into bed.

Raihan had let himself relax while he was talking about swords, a familiar subject. He’d even been comfortable enough around Leon that it almost felt like old times, but now that the moment was upon him, a swell of uncertainty rose within him. He suddenly felt as awkward as a teenager.

Also like old times, he supposed.

“How would you prefer that this… happen?” Raihan asked once Leon left the washroom.

Leon didn’t meet his gaze, standing in the doorway to the washroom as he replied.

“Perhaps… you can merely rest alongside me. And if it is needed… do what you did last night.”

“As you wish, Sire,” Raihan rose to his feet. 

Leon moved over to his bed, slipping underneath the sheets and getting comfortable in the large bed. He didn’t take up much room due to the enormous size of the bed, and it wasn’t long before he’d settled.

Raihan let out a long breath, then slid in beside him. He settled closer to the edge of the bed, taking care to leave Leon plenty of room, then made himself comfortable. He hadn’t been able to appreciate it while in armor, but now that he was in night clothes, laying in Leon’s bed was like sinking into a cloud. 

“Are you comfortable?” Leon asked quietly after Raihan had lay down beside him.

“Comfortable?” Raihan let out a soft laugh. “This is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever laid in. If I’m not careful, I’ll be unable to sleep in anything less than goose down ever again.”

Gods, he was rambling.

“I apologize,” Leon said, shifting a little, “not everyone prefers the pampered life.”

“No,” Raihan said quickly. “No, it’s fine. Truly. It’s just strange thinking of how far I’ve come. This is a far cry from sleeping on a straw mattress in a stable.”

“...yes,” Leon said softly, “I must say that I prefer you here rather than there.”

“I agree,” Raihan shifted, getting comfortable on his back.

The minutes dragged on in silence. Raihan was keenly aware of Leon so close to him, listening to the soft sound of his breathing. He thought it would take him hours to fall asleep, but between the plush mattress, the soft bedding, and the fact that he still hadn’t gotten quite enough sleep this morning, he found it didn’t take long for him to start to fade. He was almost asleep when Leon’s voice broke the silence.

“If I were to get you a sword… would you value it higher than any other?”

Raihan opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling as the unexpected weight of that question settled on him.

“…Yes.”

There was a hint of something unfamiliar in Leon’s voice.

“...perhaps this should not please me… but it does.”

A smile pulled at a corner of Raihan’s lips.

“I am glad.”

“Good.”

Leon rolled over, then finally fell still. Soon his breathing settled into a more slow, even rhythm as he fell asleep beside Raihan. Despite the complicated thoughts and feelings now buzzing through his head and heart, Raihan soon followed Leon into sleep.

* * *

Predictably, Raihan awoke several hours later to the soft whimpers of Leon tossing and turning beside him. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then slid closer to Leon.

“Sire?”

With a soft cry, Leon retreated from Raihan’s voice and touch. As he continued to move in his sleep, he began to tremble. Raihan bit his lip and considered Leon. If Raihan learned for sure what the nightmares were about, perhaps he could better help Leon recover from them. Each time he’d witnessed these nightmares, they always appeared to be the same, shying away from Raihan’s raised voice and any touch that Leon didn’t seek out on his own. Raihan remembered the way he’d squirmed away from the scar at the base of his spine. Perhaps if he… 

With a silent apology, Raihan firmly pressed his fingers into Leon’s back, right where the scar from his assassination attempt was.

A pained but muffled scream forced itself from Leon’s throat. His back arched intently, right from where Raihan’s fingers were pressing, and his expression contorted into one of agony.

Raihan’s heart tore and he immediately let Leon go. He let out a long breath. Well, that all but confirmed it. He’d ask Leon in the morning, but he was sure Leon was reliving his assassination attempt. 

“Majesty?” Raihan asked, keeping his voice low and soft.

Leon brought up his arms, shielding his face and ducking his head. A strangled noise escaped him, sounding almost like words, but not quite.

Raihan moved close, but still didn’t touch him.

“Sire? My King? Majesty?” Raihan bit his lip. 

“ _…Leon._ ”

Finally, Leon drew in a breath and raised his head toward Raihan’s voice.

“...R… Ra…?” he gasped out, still trembling intently.

“It’s me. I’m here, Leon,” Raihan didn’t want to set him off again, but tentatively reached to stroke Leon’s braided hair.

“R… han…” Leon managed, reaching out toward him, his hands blindly seeking Raihan.

Raihan caught his hands and sank down beside him. 

“I’m here, Leon. I have you. You’re safe.

Leon held to Raihan’s hands for a moment, then moved in past them to bury his face against Raihan’s chest. He took a few deep breaths, and his trembling slowly began to cease.

“...safe… please… _please…_ ”

Raihan’s heart fluttered in his chest. He slowly wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

“I’m here. You’re safe. I will _always_ keep you safe.”

Strong arms wrapped around him in turn, and Leon clung tightly to the back of Raihan’s sleep clothes.

“...promise?”

“I promise,” Raihan gently stroked his back, keeping well away from his scar. “You have my word.”

Leon let out a broken sigh, and relaxed further against Raihan, his breathing gradually returning to normal. Raihan held him tenderly and thought over the encounter. His heart broke at the fear and vulnerability in Leon’s voice. He absently began to hum a lullaby, soothing him back to sleep.

Leon’s bond hand sought Raihan’s, gently entwining their fingers and holding it firmly.

“...a… always?...” His voice was soft and tentative, a stark contrast to his firm grip on Raihan’s hand.

Raihan’s heart melted, and he gave Leon’s hand a squeeze.

“Always and forever.”

Leon let out one last sigh, then fell back into deep sleep, his hand still clasped with Raihan’s. Raihan held him close. His king in his arms, sleep claimed Raihan soon after.


	12. The Long Cold - Chapter 8

In the morning, Raihan had asked Leon what he remembered of his dreams, and while Leon tried in vain to remember, he was set upon by another bloody nose.

That confirmed it for Raihan. He was sure Leon was reliving the night an assassin came after him. If he could only figure out what exactly happened that night, perhaps he could get a better understanding of how to calm Leon, or maybe even eliminate the dreams altogether. If Leon couldn’t remember the night he was attacked, then he’d have to find someone who did. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done, and between a lack of a suitable witness and his busy schedule the days stretched into weeks with no progress, until a disturbance sent both himself and Leon to the north.

If there was one thing Raihan could say for the royal smithy, it would be that the armorsmiths were the best in all of Galar, and Raihan showered each and every one of them in gratitude every chance he got. The platemail he wore was the most comfortable heavy armor he’d ever had, and even as the sun beat down on them, the armor was surprisingly well ventilated, without sacrificing protection for comfort.

Not to say Raihan wasn’t still hot. Autumn was just around the corner, but the weather didn’t seem to care, and plagued them with a summer heat. At least Raihan could feel a breeze, and wasn’t cooking alive in his armor.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” Raihan said. He urged his bay mare closer to Leon’s white geldling so he didn’t need to shout. “Dragons don’t rampage for no reason.”

They rode with a small company of knights through the countryside toward the town where the most recent sighting had been reported. Leon similarly wore his full plate mail that day, as well as the royal sword and shield across his back. He looked over at Raihan as their horses trotted alongside one another, giving him a curt nod.

“I agree. It’s been a long time since we’ve had any trouble with dragons. I find this situation very curious.”

They crested the top of a high hill and Raihan pulled his mare to a halt at the scene below them. Further in the distance, off to their left, was the town they were headed for. There were signs of burnt walls and scorched roofs, but virtually all the buildings were still standing. The same could not be said for the fields sprawling to the west of the town. Black patches of charred earth scarred the landscape, and Raihan examined it all with a critical eye.

“Destroyed, but not livestock carcasses,” Raihan noted. “At least, none that haven’t been burned to cinders. If the dragon had come to feed, we would find remains.”

“Indeed,” Leon agreed, his sharp golden eyes looking out over the blackened fields. “Which only creates more questions. Dragons have nothing to gain from wanton destruction of crop fields. They might destroy them in search of prey or while in chase of something, but…”

“There’s something we’re missing,” Raihan agreed, urging his horse forward again and starting down the hill. Leon spurred his horse on, and the other knights followed just behind him.

“Be on your guard,” Leon warned the company as they neared the ravaged area.

The area was rather void of people, as most had all-too-happily obeyed the evacuation orders, so it was easy to see any movement as they approached. A stray goat darted across the field in front of them, bleating madly as it fled.

“Hm,” was all Leon had time to say before a great bellowing roar came from their right. High above them a silhouette was fast-approaching, and growing larger by the second.

“Scatter!!” Leon yelled, and spurred his horse forward, drawing his sword in one quick motion. The knights spread out at Leon’s order, but Raihan drew his own sword and kept close to Leon’s side. Another rattling cry came from above them as Leon removed the enormous shield off of his back, and wind blasted against them as a massive scaly form whipped past their heads.

With a great thundering noise, the dragon crashed into the scorched open field, dirt and debris scattering everywhere. Leon reared his horse back, turning the panicked creature toward the dragon rather than away.

“Keep your distance!” he shouted at the knights, “Don’t get too close to it!”

The knights retreated further back from the dragon, moving all about the field. The dragon thrashed about in the dirt, its leathery wings askew, letting out a growling wail. Its scales gleamed in the afternoon autumn sun, glinting a brilliant orange color, and its ivory claws sank easily through the packed, seared dirt. Leon watched closely as it roared after the terrified goat, but made little effort to get it, instead opting to thrash its flame-tipped tail about wildly and paw madly at the ground.

“I know the report said it was big, but this…” Raihan shook his head. “This is the biggest dragon I’ve ever seen. What are your orders, Sire?”

“Hm,” Leon said again, and looked at Raihan, “it’s acting very strangely. I’d like to get in closer to it, though I think we should leave the horses behind. They’re already spooked.”

Raihan nodded and dismounted. He clenched his jaw at the thought of Leon getting closer to the rampaging dragon, but he knew his king was right. Leon slid off his horse, landing heavily and left the horses where they were, starting to move very slowly toward the dragon.

“Any possible advice from your past experiences would be greatly appreciated, Sir Raihan,” Leon said quietly, motioning for Raihan to stick close to him.

“Of course, Sire. It’s obviously distracted, though I have no idea by what. This also isn’t the rampaging of a furious dragon. This is distressed thrashing. If it was out for destruction there would be significantly more damage, with entire fields and towns razed to the ground, not random patches of burns. It either hasn’t spotted us or isn’t paying any attention to us. Otherwise it wouldn’t keep its eyes off us. Keep close, stay low, and let's use what’s left of this wheat field for cover.”

Leon nodded to him, sword in one hand, shield in the other, and regarded the remains of the wheat.

“Lead on, then, Sir Raihan. I will follow your lead.”

Raihan pulled his own shield off his back, then led Leon into the tall waves of wheat. They kept low and moved slowly. Their armor wasn’t stealthy in the slightest, but the occasional clinks and clangs were hidden by the dragon’s roars. Raihan finally stopped as they reached the edge of their cover, the wheat ending abruptly to burnt earth. Now that they were closer, it was easy to see smears of red blood among the dirt, and some of it was caked onto the dragon’s scales. Leon’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Raihan, speaking in a hushed tone.

“I hadn’t heard any report of casualties, even livestock.”

Leon crept forward, his golden eyes scanning the great creature’s form, and he suddenly gasped.

“Ah! A hilt! There’s a sword in its left flank!”

“What?” Raihan peered ahead and caught a glimpse of light reflecting off metal. There indeed was a sword buried to the hilt in the dragon’s flank. “Gods, that explains everything, doesn’t it?”

Leon nodded.

“It’s been in pain, not a destructive frenzy. If we can get that sword out, we might be able to calm it down.”

The dragon roared again and spun in a circle, it’s massive head trying to reach its injured flank without success. The giant claws tore furrows in the earth as deep as Raihan’s calf.

“And how do you propose we do that?” Raihan asked skeptically.

“If we can cause a distraction in front of it, one of us can sneak around behind it and pull it out.” Leon’s eyes searched Raihan’s. “Would you feel confident causing a distraction while I extract the sword?”

“Easily,” Raihan said. “And I’d much rather take the front end than let you do it.”

“I assumed that was how you felt,” Leon said a tad flatly, “and admittedly, you have far more experience with dragons than I.”

“You’re right. Perhaps if— _Get down!_ ”

Raihan seized Leon by the shoulder and shoved him to the ground, throwing himself on top of him just in time for the dragon’s tail to sweep above them. It narrowly missed them, but the burning tip set the wheat around them ablaze.

“Sire!” Raihan leapt back to his feet, surprisingly agile in his armor, and helped Leon to his feet. “ _Move!_ ” 

With no other choice, they fled the burning wheat, leaving their cover behind. At the clamor of their armor and shouted voices, they finally drew the attention of the great beast. It whipped around, wings flaring out wide and jaws opening in a bone-rattling roar. Leon held his shield in front of him and took a step to the right of the dragon.

“Hold its attention, I’m going for the sword!”

The dragon’s scaled chest, more lightly colored than its back, began to glow a searing orange between the scaly slats.

“Go!” Raihan shouted, and ran left as Leon ran right. 

As Raihan ran, he yelled and clanged the hilt of his sword against his shield, being as loud as he could to keep the dragon’s attention on himself instead of his king. The dragon swiveled its large head toward him and let out a brief but intense burst of flame in his direction, though its aim was off, blackening another section of the field. It let out a roar of frustration, thrashing about again.

Raihan swallowed. This dragon was far larger than any he’d seen, much less dealt with personally. Raihan gritted his teeth and hardened his resolve. If they could stop the dragon’s rampage, they would save countless lives. He trusted Leon. He looked up at the massive creature. It roared, revealing teeth as long as his arm.

Raihan roared back at it and charged.

Seeming to take this as a challenge, the dragon finally squared its stance and turned to meet Raihan head-on, flaring out its wings wide in an act of intimidation. Its large head dove toward Raihan, and the sound its jaw made as it narrowly missed him cracked through the air like thunder. Raihan slashed at the enormous head, though he only slapped the dragon with the flat of his blade, not wanting to infuriate it even more with further injuries. At the blow, the dragon reared back its head, shaking its head and grumbling in confusion. 

Raihan backed up and kept moving, not wanting to hold still to give the dragon an easy target. He glanced between the dragon’s legs to see how close Leon was on the other side. Leon’s sword was sheathed and shield in front of him, heading slowly toward the dragon. He’d gotten in closer, but not close enough.

Raihan yelled and swung his sword at empty air. He was still within biting range, but he didn’t dare retreat further, for fear of the dragon following him and putting more distance between itself and Leon. At the sound of his yelling, the dragon refocused on Raihan, rearing its head back and swiping one large foot at him. Raihan threw himself into a roll to avoid the massive claws, and sprang back lightly onto his feet.

The dragon planted its foot down after its miss and took a deep breath. Molten orange began to build up once again in the dragon’s chest. Smoke poured from its nostrils. Raihan looked up as flames licked around the edges of the dragon’s mouth. 

His heart leapt into his throat and he sprinted for the only cover in the field, which happened to be the dragon itself. If he could get in close enough, he was sure the dragon would flame over the field, and not at its own feet. Raihan would have claws to deal with, but that was better than that devastating flame. Raihan ran for all he was worth, heart pounding in his ears. 

Gods, he wasn’t going to be fast enough. He was still too far out.

A familiar shrill screech filled the air, a sound Raihan hadn’t heard in years. He looked up in time to see a blur of emerald and ruby drop from the sky and collide hard with the massive orange dragon’s head.

Flames burst up into the sky, shooting harmlessly upwards as a garbled roar made it through the fire. The larger dragon stumbled to one side, reeling from the hard hit to its head. 

“Flygon?!”

Flygon was only about a fourth the size of the orange dragon, but he bravely roared a challenge. Raihan kept running. The massive legs had dug into the earth as the dragon stabilized itself against this new attack, and Raihan sprinted between them. He didn’t stay under the dragon for long, however, and took a sharp turn, running back out from beneath the dragon’s shoulder. 

With a flurry of leather wings, Flygon was suddenly in front of him, ruby eyes gleaming. He gave a sharp, demanding chirp and lowered his forequarters. Raihan didn’t hesitate and leaped onto the dragon’s shoulders. Flygon let out a trill and tore into the sky. 

Raihan’s stomach lurched as the ground fell away from him. He’d often daydreamed of what it would be like to fly dragonback, and imagined it would be something like a very fast horse, but quickly realized how very wrong he was. There was nothing to hold on to, no mane, no fur, and even Flygon’s horns didn’t provide much purchase, so he was forced to wrap his shield arm tight around the dragon’s neck. Raihan was used to the steady gait of a horse, but Flygon’s wingbeats jolted his rear up and down the dragon’s shoulders. After a moment of scrambling, Raihan found a decent foothold on either side of Flygon’s shoulders that gave him some level of stability. 

Flygon turned in a slow arc and Raihan’s heart soared. Apart from the very real possibility of falling from Flygon’s back and plummeting to his untimely death, the experience was exhilarating. Raihan held his sword aloft, and he and Flygon roared as one.

They flew around the orange dragon’s head, Flygon beating his wings at its eyes and Raihan swinging the flat of his blade at the massive snout. The larger dragon reared its head back further, bellowing in frustration at them. As it reeled, it stumbled out of place, and Leon had to quickly dodge the massive tail as it thrashed about.

Raihan thought quickly, looking for a way to give Leon an opening.

“Flygon!” He shouted, and leaned in close. “Drive him upward! Make him rear back!” 

Flygon chirruped and swooped away, then did a sharp wingover and dove once again at the orange dragon’s face. Then, at the last moment, Flygon swung his back legs out, hit the orange dragon hard in the nose, and used the giant snout as a springboard to change their momentum and fly straight up into the air. Raihan could do little more than cling tightly to the smooth scales during the complicated maneuver, and tried to keep his bearings enough to tell which way was up. With a roar of rage, the larger dragon shoved off of the ground with its front legs, flaring its wings as it reared back onto its back legs.

Chipped ivory claws slashed at Flygon, narrowly missing him and Raihan as it lashed out at them. On the ground, Leon took off at a sprint, closing the rest of the distance between him and the dragon’s left flank. He grabbed onto the base of the dragon’s tail, reaching toward the hilt buried deep into the dragon. 

Once Leon was on the dragon’s tail, Raihan tapped Flygon’s shoulder and they dove back down, driving the massive dragon back to all fours. As the dragon settled back on the ground, Leon crawled up its back, gripping one orange scale tight, and took hold of the hilt. The dragon let out a roar of pain and surprise, snapping its head toward Leon on its flank.

“ _Hey!_ ” Raihan roared.

Flygon roared with him, and dove once more at the great dragon’s head, claws extended. The dragon ignored them, letting out a bellow toward Leon.

Leon didn’t hesitate any longer, and yanked the sword straight upward. The dragon let out another earth-shattering roar, its claws making deeper indents in the ground, but it didn’t lash out any further. 

Flygon breezed past the dragon’s head and pulled into a wide gliding arc. Raihan put a hand on Flygon’s neck and watched the orange dragon carefully, ready to intervene should it resume its violence. 

Leon slid off the dragon’s back, holding the bloody sword, and the dragon’s head steadily approached Leon. The two locked eyes, and neither moved for a long moment. 

Finally, Leon half turned and threw the bloody sword with all his might, and it skidded out across the blackened field. He spread his arms wide, showing no other weapons, his sword and shield discarded.

After another tense pause, the dragon let out a low, pained rumble, and turned its head toward its flank. Its large pink tongue sought the sluggishly bleeding wound, and the large creature began meekly licking its wound as best it could.

Raihan let out a sigh of relief. Without prompting, Flygon slowly glided back to the ground and landed neatly near Leon. Raihan slid off his back and gratefully patted his old friend’s neck.

“Thank you.”

Flygon crooned and gave him a brief nuzzle before pulling away. Raihan let him go and strode toward Leon. 

“Well done, Sire.”

“And well done to you both, as well.” Leon gave Flygon a nod. “I see you’re still looking out for Raihan, Flygon.”

Flygon trilled in acknowledgement.

“What happens now?” Raihan asked, looking back at the great dragon.

“That is a good question,” Leon said, also looking back at the large dragon. The dragon finally shifted its head away from its wound, turning to look at Leon again.

“Where is your home?” Leon asked the creature, stepping in closer to the dragon’s large head, reaching one hand out toward it.

The dragon let out a sad grumble, watching Leon carefully as he approached, but showed no signs of further aggression.

Raihan tensed, but stayed where he was. The dragon appeared calm for now, but Raihan didn’t want to risk upsetting it again by approaching, especially after he and Flygon had just finished antagonizing it.

Leon stopped just within arm’s reach of the dragon’s head, and very slowly rested his hand on its nose. The dragon watched Leon carefully, and after a moment under his touch, it relaxed, letting out a puff of smoke through its nostrils. With a dull crash, the dragon collapsed, exhausted, into the charred dirt.

“You were probably trying to get the sword out for a while, is that right?” Leon said gently, now rubbing the dragon’s muzzle. “Take a rest now, and then we’ll figure out where you live.”

Raihan sighed and leaned back against Flygon in relief.

Leon continued stroking the head of the large, orange dragon, speaking gently to it and getting rumbling replies. After a bit of this, Leon finally turned and looked back at Raihan.

“Well… perhaps it was time I got my own dragon friend,” he said.

“Is that so, Your Majesty?” Raihan gave him a small smile.

“Yes,” Leon replied, making direct eye contact with Raihan, the slightest bit of warmth in his golden gaze. “I think I will call him Char. Because he chars things.”

It took a moment for that to process.

“Did you just…” Raihan started, stunned. Was this real? Was this actual humor from his cold king? “Are you _teasing_ me?”

“Oh?” Leon asked, turning back toward the dragon who was now apparently called Char, “are you feeling taunted? You and Fly-gone?”

Raihan couldn’t help it, and a laugh rose in his throat, until he was leaning against Flygon, laughing hard enough that tears beaded in his eyes.

It wasn’t a good joke, flat and dry, but with it, Raihan felt another chip of ice fall away from the walls around Leon’s heart.

* * *

After Char’s wounds were tended to and the massive dragon returned to his den, life went back to normal. Raihan trained in the mornings and guarded Leon and Hop during the day, then entered Leon’s quarters through the hidden passage every evening. He tended to his King’s hair, shared a touch session if Leon requested it, then spent the rest of the evening working on his usual personal projects until Leon was ready to go to bed. Every night, he laid beside his King, soothed his nightmares, and woke each morning with Leon in his arms.

How well Raihan tended to Leon’s nightmares was hit or miss. He’d learned that raised voices and unsolicited touches made the dreams worse and distressed Leon further. Soft reassurances and calling Leon by his name instead of his title helped. Everything else was seemingly up to chance. Sometimes stroking Leon’s hair relaxed him, but occasionally, it had sent Leon into a panic. The same held true with a handful of Raihan’s reassurances, as if the words themselves were a trigger. Some nights, he couldn’t calm Leon at all, and merely had to let his King ride the terrors out before he exhausted himself and sank into Raihan’s arms.

After some investigating, he learned that Kabu, who had been Champion at the time, had been called away on an emergency the night it happened, likely a distraction set up by the assassin. Steward Rose had been looking after the very young Prince Hop. There had been an ambassador from Kalos as part of a peace delegation at the time that conveniently disappeared after the attack.

With no small amount of frustration, Raihan quickly learned that the only person who could have seen what happened that night was Leon and the assassin himself. Raihan spent a few weeks frustrated by this before he realized there was one more person who might know what happened.

Being the Royal Archivist, Sonia was tasked with chronicling everything of significance that happened within the castle walls, and the major events elsewhere in Galar. She’d interrogated Leon and himself a number of times, most recently about the incident with Char. She hadn’t yet taken on the title of Archivist at the time of Leon’s attack, but she did have access to the archives, and surely the Archivist at the time had chronicled everything of the attack before Leon blocked it out.

With nothing else to lose, and with a rare moment of free time, Raihan went to speak to Sonia.

Sonia was usually deep in the royal library, and today was no exception. Thousands of books lined the walls, and the shelves reached up high enough that ladders were needed to access them. It always had a distinct smell to it, and it hadn’t changed in ten years. In the very back, Sonia sat at a desk covered in papers, scrolls and books, twirling her hair as she considered the next line of ink she was going to put down.

At the sound of Raihan’s footsteps, she glanced up, a bit of confusion crossing her face.

“Ah, Sir Raihan, what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come requesting help,” Raihan said, passing the rows and rows of shelves to reach her desk. “I’m looking for information from the archives.” 

“Really?” Sonia looked even more surprised, but quickly regained her composure. “What information are you seeking?”

Raihan kept his face carefully neutral.

“I’m looking for details of what happened within the castle eight years ago on Midwinter night.”

Sonia raised her eyebrows. She glanced behind Raihan, then side to side, and even then only spoke just above a whisper.

“You mean the assassination attempt on King Leon?”

Raihan nodded. “I want to know what happened.”

“Well,” Sonia swallowed, getting to her feet, “normally I’d tell whoever asking that it’s sensitive information, and only for certain eyes… but your eyes are among those allowed to see things like that. Though I need to come supervise… and I need to know why you’re asking about it.”

Raihan had expected Sonia to ask, but he still hesitated. He looked around.

“Is anyone else here? Are we alone?”

“Probably,” Sonia said, but started to lead him toward the back wall, “but let’s head into the Archive to speak. C’mon.”

She pulled out a set of keys from her small, black satchel, quickly found the right one and opened the single door at the far end of the library. It led into a small, dusty, circular room lined with shelves that smelled even mustier than the library itself. The books in here were uniform, all the same size and bound in the same plain leather bindings, the carefully preserved books chronicling the history of Galar ever since its founding.

Sonia closed and locked the door behind them, then turned toward Raihan, speaking in a much more normal tone.

“Okay, _now_ we’re alone.”

Raihan folded his arms and looked Sonia in the eye.

“The King has nightmares almost every night. I believe he is reliving the night he was attacked, but he says he neither remembers the dreams, nor that night. I want to know what happened.”

Sonia’s eyebrows shot up again.

“Nightmares? Oh dear… that’s awful. ...what’s leading you to believe that they’re to do with the assassination attempt?”

“He recoils violently from the scar where he was stabbed that night, and he had the same involuntary reaction when I questioned him on both the dreams and what he remembered of that night.”

“...hm.” Sonia considered Raihan a moment longer, then turned around. She regarded the thick books that made up the archive, one tapered finger trailing along their spines. Finally she pulled one out.

“Here we are. From eight years ago.”

She thumbed through it until she found the proper place. “Ah! Here it is. Regarding the assassination attempt on Prince Leon of Galar.”

Sonia pointed out the passage to Raihan, handing over the book.

The preceding text discussed the successful assassinations of Leon’s parents, which took place earlier that same night and filled several pages. The passage Sonia indicated, however, was only a scant paragraph long.

_The Crown Prince Leon of Galar was found unconscious in the West Hall Sitting Room twelve minutes after midnight by Steward Rose. Crown Prince Leon was found face down on the floor, lying adjacent to the fireplace and had suffered a wound from a short blade in his lower back, a thumbslength left of his spine. Steward Rose called for the Guard and medical assistance immediately. Crown Prince Leon was transported to the infirmary and his wound and anemia treated. Champion Kabu investigated the scene and found no immediate signs of a struggle. Champion Kabu wished noted in these archives that the blood found at the scene was greatly reduced from what he would have expected from such a wound and the severity of the Crown Prince Leon’s anemia. Champion Kabu’s opinion has been noted. Upon awakening, Crown Prince Leon stated he shared Midwinter celebrations with aforementioned Kalos Ambassador Az, but had no recollection of the attack or how he came to be in the sitting room. Kalos Ambassador Az was last seen at one hour before midnight, speaking with Crown Prince Leon. He has not been seen since the attack._

“That’s it?” Raihan asked after he’d read it multiple times. “That’s all there is?”

Sonia nodded, looking a bit grim.

“I’m afraid so.”

“And ambassador Az was never found?”

She shook her head.

“No one ever figured out what happened to him.” She shifted uncomfortably. “And it wasn’t long after this that they got word of what happened in Kalos with the King and Queen.”

Raihan sighed and closed the book.

“At least I know all anyone knows, I suppose. Thank you, Lady Sonia.”

“You’re welcome, Sir Raihan. I’ll um… I’ll put that back, if you don’t mind.” She pointed at the book in his hands.

“Ah. Of course.” He handed the precious book back to her.

She took the book and carefully put it back on the shelf, then turned toward Raihan with a sigh.

“The Archives can be kind of hit or miss when it comes to details… we’ve been trained to be as detailed as possible, but… with something like that, when there were no witnesses to the actual event except Leon and ambassador Az… it’s going to be difficult to discern exactly what happened.”

“He was presumably taken by surprise,” Raihan mused and put a hand to his chin. “And he must have _some_ memory of the event, or at least a fabrication, or he wouldn’t keep dreaming about it.”

Sonia gave him a sideways glance, twirling her hair slightly.

“Speaking of… it’s pretty uncommon knowledge that he was stabbed in the back.” Her tone shifted. “In the _lower_ back.”

Raihan went very still, and forced his face into a carefully blank expression.

“Well, obviously, it said so in the archive you just showed me,” Raihan said in a non-answer to her unspoken question.

Sonia’s expression grew unimpressed, and her tone was flat.

“You mentioned the scar before I showed you the book, Raihan.”

“Obviously there must be a scar,” Raihan said carefully. “He was stabbed, after all.”

She let out a hefty sigh.

“Raihan, I _know_ that scar is below his beltline. The only way you could have seen it is if you’ve seen him naked. And I _also_ know that undressing him _isn’t_ in your list of duties!” Her cheeks puffed out slightly in a familiar fashion. “Don’t lie to the Royal Archivist!”

The scar wasn’t _that_ far below his beltline, Raihan thought saltily, but didn’t push the issue.

“I know it’s location for the same reason I know he has night terrors,” Raihan said, forcing the words out with reluctance. “I spend my nights with him to soothe his nightmares.”

Sonia sputtered for a moment until she was able to regain her composure.

“You’re _sleeping_ with him?! I-I just figured that he confided in you about them!”

“I said I spend my nights with him, not that I’m sleeping with him!” Raihan protested. “At least… not like that.”

Sonia let out another sigh, rubbing her forehead.

“Still… I didn’t think he’d let anyone in that close to him ever again… he’s become so closed off… so…. cold.”

“I know,” Raihan said. “But I think I’m getting through to him. Did you know he made a joke a few weeks back? After the incident with the dragon?”

She looked bewildered, shaking her head.

“I didn’t! Gods… I haven’t heard him make a joke since… well…” She bit her lip. “Since you left.”

“It wasn’t a good joke,” Raihan admitted. “But… I’m working on it. I hope that ice is melting.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sonia said with a small smile. “He has been far less ah… sharp since you returned.”

“Good,” Raihan said. “...Well, thank you for your help, Lady Sonia. As much as I wish I’d learned more.”

“I’m glad I was able to help at least a little bit,” Sonia said quietly. “If you happen to have any other historical questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I won’t, thank you,” Raihan said, and hesitated before continuing. “And… it’s good to see you. I hope you’ve been well.”

“And you as well,” Sonia replied with a nod, “though if you’re still even slightly like the Raihan I once knew, getting to quell a raging dragon alongside Leon was probably the exact thing you’d _want_ to be doing.” She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly, though her smile stayed in place.

Raihan allowed himself a small smile.

“It was certainly… exhilarating.”

“Of _course_ it was,” Sonia said dryly, and opened the door to the Archives and slipping out of the musty room.

Raihan’s small smile flashed into a grin, just for a moment, before it settled into a more professional expression.

“Then perhaps it is for the best that the King Himself is not often called to quell giant monsters.”

“I would agree, though perhaps not for the same reason you do,” Sonia said with a sigh, returning to her desk.

“Have a good evening, Lady Sonia.”

“You too, Sir, Raihan.”

Raihan gave her one more smile and took his leave.


	13. The Long Cold - Chapter 9

The final day of the Harvest Festival was in full swing. The massive celebration of another year’s successful harvest was a week-long affair, and all of Hammerlocke turned out for the feasting and celebrations. Though many of the big events had taken place earlier in the week, like the largest vegetable contests, the baking and cooking competitions, and the bardic duels, there was still one final competition for the King to oversee.

Raihan stood at Leon’s side and watched as the archery targets were set up, made of a bale of hay with a painted cloth covering. The competitors mingled at one side of the arena, chatting with each other with bows in hand as they waited for the arena to be ready. There had been archery competitions all week, and this would be the final competition with the best archers from all over Galar, all hoping to win the top prize of an impressive sack of gold coins and an exquisitely made bow.

Leon and Raihan were lingering to one side of the royal box as the event was being set up, and Leon shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the large shield he frequently wore on his back in public. He spent a moment adjusting his proper outfit to be the slightest bit more comfortable. Nearby, Hop chatted excitedly with Marnie, with Kabu dutifully watching over the two youths.

“I heard they’re going to have fire-dancers this year!” Hop enthused, “they dance about with flaming poles and throw them in the air and some even blow fire like dragons!”

“Woah…” Marnie said softly, clutching a small two-toned rodent close, “that sounds real impressive…”

“I bet it is, I’ve never seen it, but I want to!” Hop said back just a bit too loudly. “Sure would beat having to watch dumb ol’ archery again!”

“Ah, but this is the _best_ archery,” Raihan said, taking a few steps over to the children. “They’ve all worked very hard to make it here to the finals.”

Hop pouted up at Raihan, his bottom lip jutting out comically.

“But they took _all week_ about it! I’m sick of archery, I wanna go watch the fire dancers instead!”

“I suppose we could ask if Kabu and Rose would accompany you to watch the fire dancers,” Leon said with a measure of warmth in his eyes.

Hop’s face exploded with excitement.

“Really? You’d really let me go, Lee?”

“So long as you promise to be good.” Leon’s tone was only slightly stern in comparison to his usual tone. “And would you also like to go, Lady Marnie?”

The pig-tailed girl perked up without smiling, and nodded.

“Yes, please. I should tell my brother where I’m goin’, first.”

“That’s a good idea,” Leon agreed, and watched Marnie jog over toward where Piers was talking with Milo.

“I’d be happy to escort them, Your Majesty,” Kabu said. “Might we take a few of the guards for protection?”

“Of course, Sir Kabu,” Leon said with an approving nod, “I appreciate the forethought.”

“I shall also collect Steward Rose,” Kabu bowed.

“Thank you,” Leon said, “I believe he was speaking with Duchess Nessa the last I saw him.”

Kabu nodded and with a short bow, took his leave.

Raihan smiled and swept his eyes across the arena, ever on alert for danger. The royal box consisted of a raised platform with a simple throne, placed at the best location to watch the archery competition, and held only the King and Raihan. Guards flanked either side of the box, and beyond them, the nobility were seated in rows along another raised platform. Anyone else was welcome to watch from whatever angle they could get a good view. Rope fences had been set up to keep anyone from coming too close and either interfering with the competition or accidentally catching a stray arrow. People crowded against the fences, eager to see the end to the competition and cheer on their favorite competitors. The occasional child rose above the crowd as a parent gave them a better view from atop a pair of shoulders.

Hop bounced excitedly on his feet, waiting for Marnie to return. He looked up at Raihan, a curious look on his face.

“Are you good with the bow, Raihan?” he asked. “We haven’t been over that in our lessons yet.”

“I am very good with a bow,” Raihan said. “We’ll be starting bow work when you’re a little more comfortable with your knife. Ah! And I see you’re wearing it today, good.”

Raihan nodded to the little sheathed dagger strapped to Hop’s belt.

“Yep!” Hop said proudly, puffing out his chest. “You told me to never be without it, so I always try to remember to wear it!”

“Good,” Raihan said. “I want you to get used to wearing it.”

“It does already feel a bit strange when I don’t feel the weight of it on my belt,” Hop mused aloud.

“See? You’re already getting comfortable with it.”

“Yeah!” Hop said brightly, beaming up at Raihan, “soooo does that mean we get to start with bows soon?”

Raihan laughed, “Yes, we’ll start soon. I promise.”

Hop beamed triumphantly. “I’m so excited to learn it from you! How come you aren’t competing, if you're so good with a bow?”

“I’ve already proven my skills by becoming Champion. It wouldn’t be fair for me to compete. I’d rather let someone else have a chance to shine.”

“Ohh,” Hop said, nodding slowly, “that makes sense. Everyone already knows you’re the best!”

“Exactly,” Raihan said with a smile.

Marnie came running back over, her expression as muted as ever, though her voice revealed some of the excitement she was feeling.

“H-he said it was all right, we can go see the fire-dancers, Prince Hop.”

“Hooray!!” Hop cheered, pumping a fist in the hair, beaming wide at her, “that’s great!”

“Ah, are we all set to go, then?” Rose approached, Kabu at his side.

“Yeah!” Hop said, “let’s go!”

“Come right back to me when they’re done performing, all right?” Leon said, stroking Hop’s hair once before he let his hand drop.

“Of course, Lee! We’ll be fine, right Sir Kabu?”

“That’s right, your Highness,” Kabu said with a smile. “No need to worry, your Majesty, we’ll look after them.”

Leon nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now we’d best get going, we don’t want to miss it,” Kabu said, and turned to leave. He motioned to the two guards Rose had recruited from the royal box to follow after them.

A trumpet sounded, announcing the start of the tournament, and Raihan escorted Leon back to the royal box. As he was on display for such a public appearance, Raihan was in full ceremonial plate mail. The steel armor was engraved with ornate, elaborate designs and the Galar crest, but its beauty didn’t mean it was any less functional or protective. He stood beside Leon’s throne, his plumed helm under one arm.

Leon removed the shield from his back, resting it against the front corner of the throne. He looked out over the field with mild interest as the other nobility took their seats and the guards on either side of himself and Raihan fell still into their posts.

The announcer waited for all of the nobility to get settled, then looked at Leon, awaiting his signal. Leon raised an arm, then brought it down, and she turned to blow the trumpet one more time.

“Welcome one and all to the finals of the Hammerlocke Archery Contest!” she bellowed, receiving a rowdy cheer from the crowd in return.

Raihan let the announcer’s words wash over him, and scanned the crowd. He was looking forward to seeing the competition, but his primary duty was the protection of his King. With such a large group out in the open, any number of security gaps were possible, and Rose had taken half the guards defending the royal box. All things considered, it was incredibly unlikely that someone would try anything in such a public place, but it was best to be vigilant all the same.

The competition was soon in full swing. The favorite to win was the young lord from Motostoke, but Raihan placed his bets with a commoner from Turffield. When the finalists had introduced themselves to the crowd, she'd said she came from a farm family and spent most of her life trapping and hunting to provide for her town. As Raihan expected, she was quite skilled and was giving the Motostoke lord a run for his money. 

After a few rounds, the points were added up. The young lord was still in the lead, but the huntress and an old man from Hammerlocke were only a point or two behind him. The targets were reset and moved backward twenty paces for the mid-range portion of the competition. 

As the archers took their places and let the first volley of arrows fly, Raihan surveyed the scene once again. His eyes fell on the guard on the right side of the royal box. Raihan didn’t recognize him. Raihan’s gaze lingered on him for a moment.

All things considered, Raihan had only been at the castle for half a year now, and he didn’t know all the royal guards yet, especially as there were some guards who were on rotation with the royal estates in the countryside. Raihan watched him absently for a moment and tried to place when he must have transferred in. Perhaps last week? There had been a transfer then, hadn’t there? Probably.

Raihan glanced to his left at the guard on the other side of the box.

Odd. He didn’t recognize this guard, either.

A knot formed in Raihan’s gut and his shoulders tensed. Something was wrong. Raihan took a step closer to Leon and put a hand on his sword. He leaned down to whisper in Leon’s ear when the guard to their left started moving. The sound of scraping metal surrounded them as both guards drew their swords.

“Sire!” Raihan shouted, the only warning he had time for, and hurled the helm in his hands at the charging fake-guard. 

The helm hit the guard in the face and he stumbled backward. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to stall him for even a second of time. Approaching footsteps warned him of the second fake-guard right behind him. In a single, smooth motion, Raihan spun around and drew his sword. He used the momentum of his turn to his advantage and cleaved right through the assailant’s neck, removing his head clean from his shoulders. Blood sprayed across Raihan’s front, but Raihan was already turning around before the body even hit the floor. 

Leon was on his feet, shield in hand.

“Behind me!” Raihan ordered.

With two long, swift strides, Leon complied.

The second man, having seen how quickly his accomplice had been dispatched, held his sword up defensively and tried to approach more cautiously. Raihan didn’t give him the chance. He lunged forward with a thrust, which the fake-guard sidestepped. The attacker made a quick movement and tried to dart around the throne in an attempt to get around Raihan and reach the king. Even in his plate mail, Raihan was light and spry, and easily shifted his position to intercept him. The assassin was fast.

Raihan was faster.

Their swords clashed once, twice, three times as Raihan parried each blow. Raihan was vaguely aware of movement all around them. Their fight had caught the attention of everyone in the arena, and they were reacting accordingly. The assassin also must have noticed, as his next blow was more aggressive, but also more reckless. Raihan pulled one arm back, and the blade glanced harmlessly off his breastplate. However, the strike had left the assassin’s left side open, and Raihan immediately ran him through, sinking his blade into the man to the hilt.

The assassin looked up at him with wide, shocked eyes and coughed. Blood spilled from his lips.

“ _Raihan!_ ”

Leon’s voice pierced the air, urgent and afraid.

With his blade firmly embedded in the man before him, Raihan only had enough time to look over his shoulder. His eyes met with an archer, one of the competitors, with bow at full draw and an arrow aimed directly at Raihan’s heart. Raihan’s blood ran cold. The archer let fly.

In a flash of movement, Leon was in front of him. A harsh metallic sound rang out as the arrow made contact with Leon’s shield.

Without hesitation, Leon drew a small dagger from a sheath on his thigh and threw it at the archer.

With a resounding, sickening sound, the dagger embedded itself deep into the man’s shoulder. He let out a scream, and stumbled back a step. Although they were only armed with the dull-tipped practice arrows, a half dozen archers on the field drew their own bows and aimed at the third assassin.

“Spare him,” came Leon’s bold voice, and he stepped to the edge of the royal box. “The Crown has questions that he must answer.”

The closest archer, the woman from Turffield, lunged forward and nailed him in the face with a hard right hook that laid the man out flat. Raihan pulled his sword from where it was embedded in the fake guard and turned quickly to Leon.

“Sire, are you injured?” He asked quietly. 

His eyes darted about the scene. The bowman was being roughly escorted away by the guard, this time all men and women that he recognized. More guards rushed to the royal box, also familiar faces. People in the stands screamed and panicked as they realized what happened, though Duke Piers was halfway to the royal box and quite clearly looked like he was planning on rushing into the fray to help.

Leon exchanged a glance with Raihan, minutely shaking his head before he took one more step forward. He stood at the edge of the royal box, shield in hand, an arrow now protruding from it.

“My people,” he said loudly over the din of the crowd, and everyone quickly quieted down. “Please be at peace. This was not the first attempt on my life, nor will it be the last. I would urge all of you to channel your discontent in other directions. If you feel as though something is unjust, there are many avenues to express your grievances with the Crown. I always strive to make you my priority. And I can assure you that awaiting my open hearings each year will be far more productive than expressing your anger by other, more violent means.”

Raihan’s heart still raced and he watched the crowd and the guards, bloody sword in hand, but saw no further signs of danger. One of the guards approaching the royal box was Sebastian, and Raihan felt a swell of relief at a face he knew he could trust.

“Sebastian,” He called quietly, gesturing him over while Leon spoke.

Sebastian came right to him, his eyes wide and sword still drawn. He looked visibly shaken, and swallowed loudly before standing at attention.

“Orders, sir?” he asked quietly.

“This mess needs to be cleaned up, but the others are tending to that. I need you to inform Sir Kabu immediately, and the two of you start an investigation on how we were infiltrated. I know I can trust you, Seb, but I don’t know if there are other imposters among us.”

“U-understood, sir,” Sebastian said stiffly, giving him a nod. “I will seek out Sir Kabu immediately.” He turned to leave, sheathing his sword, and hesitated. “D-do you— were you injured, Sir Raihan?”

“No,” Raihan said firmly. “We’re both fine. Go.”

Raihan clapped him on the shoulder. Sebastian gave him one more nod before he jogged away.

“That said,” Leon continued, still addressing the crowd, “this contest is one of the most anticipated events we have in Hammerlocke, and the competitors work hard each year to be able to prove themselves in front of us all. The tournament shall resume, minus one competitor, after a brief respite for us all.”

The announcer sputtered a little, but soon bowed to Leon.

“Y-yes, your Majesty.”

Leon half turned to Raihan, reaching out and firmly grasping his arm, speaking low.

“Are you fatigued or injured, Sir Raihan?”

“No, Your Majesty,” Raihan said.

“Good,” Leon said shortly. “We are going to stay here and watch the remainder of the competition.”

“Sire?” Raihan asked. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want me to go… clean up?”

He gestured at himself, and the blood splattered down his front, crimson blood stark against the silver steel.

“I am sure,” Leon said simply, and he moved to sit back down on his throne. He propped the shield back up in its place, the arrow still sticking conspicuously in it.

“Yes, my King,” Raihan said. He took a few minutes to clean his sword before returning it to its sheath, then took his place at Leon’s side once again. 

Leon did not relax on the throne for the remainder of the contest, though he watched attentively. Gradually, the crowd regained its fervor, especially as a tie-break was necessary between the young Motostoke lord and the huntress from Turffield. Finally, the huntress was declared the victor after landing a near-perfect bulls-eye.

Her grin was wide as she approached the royal box to be officially congratulated and receive her winnings. Raihan kept his face carefully impassive, but tensed all the same as she drew near.

Leon stood as she moved into a bow, giving her a nod.

“You have performed admirably today.” He stepped to the edge of the platform, then down off of it. “Pray tell, what is your name, archer?”

Raihan’s heart raced. Even though he’d watched this woman punch out one of the assassins, his nerves were already on edge and his heart pounded as Leon stepped off the platform.

“Aldith,” the woman replied, not moving up from her bow, “Aldith of Turffield.”

“Rise, Aldith of Turffield, and claim your prize.”

Leon gestured to the announcer, and a moment later two people came over, hefting a large, locked chest. Leon quickly unlocked it using a key he produced from a pocket, then gently lifted a masterwork bow out of it. He held the bow out toward Aldith, keeping his head held high.

“You are recognized as the greatest archer in Galar. And with that title comes this bow.”

Aldith beamed all the brighter as she took the bow, her eyes marveling at the craftsmanship before she sank into a respectful bow.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“And with that, this Hammerlocke Archery Contest is closed!” the announcer declared.

The crowd cheered one more time before things began to break up and people milled about. Leon regarded Aldith again, his voice much quieter as he spoke only to her.

“Someone of your skill would likely be readily accepted among the ranks of the royal archers,” he said. “Should that be something you wish to pursue.”

Her eyes lit up and her smile grew only wider.

“Really? Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Of course. I wish you the best in your future endeavors.”

With a small nod, Leon turned and moved back toward Raihan, tossing his cape a bit so it didn’t catch on the edge of the platform as he stepped back up onto it. Aldith left with a smile, holding her new bow tightly. 

Raihan hovered close to Leon as the crowd began to disperse. Leon drew close to him, giving him a look-over with his usual, dispassionate gaze.

“Perhaps now we should go see to it that you’re cleaned up.”

“I would appreciate that, Your Majesty.”

The blood was well on its way to drying, the crimson faded to rust brown and flaking off his armor.

Leon turned to exit the platform down the back stairs, and the two were met by a rather frantic-looking Kabu running over to them. He gasped for breath as he slowed in front of them, his eyes catching on the dried blood all over Raihan.

“Y-your Majesty!! Raihan!! Are you all right?!”

Leon moved in closer to him, speaking quietly.

“We’re quite all right, Kabu. Raihan performed his duty with extreme precision.”

“What do you have to report?” Raihan asked, though there was no harshness in his tone.

“The archer assassin is in custody,” Kabu said, quickly regaining his composure. “He is being transported to the dungeons as we speak by guards I know and trust.” Something in his eyes cracked. “Is… is it true, then? Two of our own?...”

Raihan shook his head. “Two in uniform, but not of our own. I didn’t recognize them. I suspect they stole uniforms and infiltrated for the purpose of getting close to the King.”

Kabu relaxed, but only slightly.

“That still means that they somehow obtained the uniforms… whether by stealing them from the rather secure location they’re held in, from a royal guard themselves, or…”

“Or they have an inside source,” Leon finished.

Kabu sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“It’s that possibility that I like the least.”

“Agreed,” Raihan said. “And to be so bold as to attempt an assassination in public, in broad daylight… Not to mention the archer.”

“Gods, what a mess,” Kabu groaned quietly.

“Lee!!” Hop’s voice rang out loudly, and he ran right over to Leon, tackling him in a tight hug that Leon barely jostled from. “Lee, you’re okay!!”

“I’m fine, Hop,” Leon said gently, wrapping one arm around Hop. “It’s all right, I’m okay.”

“By the gods, what happened?” Rose asked, striding quickly toward them. His wide eyes flickered from Leon and Hop to Raihan and lingered on the blood on his armor. Marnie followed on his heels, holding her little rodent close and staring at Raihan with similarly wide eyes.

“Two assassins tried to attack me,” Leon said smoothly, holding Hop closer. “But Raihan took care of them.”

Kabu frowned slightly.

“What about the archer? He was injured when I was dealing with him…”

“That was me,” Leon admitted. “He was aiming for Raihan.”

Tears filled Hop’s eyes, and he buried his face against Leon’s chest.

“W-why?! Why do they wanna hurt you?”

“Shhh,” Leon soothed, stroking his hair, “we should return to the castle. The harvest festival is nearly over, anyway.”

“How were the fire dancers?” Raihan asked, hoping to distract the prince.

“They were amazing,” Hop said into Leon’s tunic, sniffling.

“Marnie!” Piers’ worried voice broke into their conversation, and he dashed toward her. Marnie immediately went to him, and he dropped down, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. “Did you lot run into any trouble?” he asked gently.

“No,” Marnie said quietly, leaning into his embrace.

“Thank the gods,” Piers breathed, letting her go as he stood. He instead took her hand and turned to look at the others. He gave Rose and Kabu a cordial nod. “Thank you for watching over her.”

Rose nodded politely in return.

“Of course, Duke Piers.”

“Your Majesty,” Piers said, looking over at Leon, “I know that I am not part of your security staff, nor do I live in Hammerlocke. However…” His gaze grew troubled. “There does seem to be a growing trend.”

“Yes,” Leon said quietly, “I must admit this to be true.”

“And this latest attack was… far too close. Sir Raihan’s skill notwithstanding.”

“I agree,” Raihan said. “The assassins never should have made it as far as they did.”

“This was orchestrated,” Piers continued. “It’s highly unlikely those uniforms were easy to come by. The uniforms the Royal Guard uses outside of the castle are different. They had to have gotten them from the castle or someone who works there. I… I do not wish to overstep my bounds, your Majesty, but…”

“Please, speak your mind,” Leon said firmly.

“...it might be time to consider all you keep close,” Piers replied, holding Marnie a bit closer. “You are an incredible ruler, Leon. Galar would be a far worse place without you.”

“I agree,” Rose said vehemently. “You’ve led us through years of peace and prosperity. We can’t lose you now.”

“We need to interrogate the archer,” Raihan said. “Find out what he knows.”

“Agreed,” Kabu said curtly. “And we must keep discussion of this in public places to a minimum.” He gave everyone a short bow. “I will take my leave to deal with this matter.”

“Report to me with an update as soon as you have it,” Leon said.

“Of course, your Majesty.”

And with that, Kabu jogged off, heading directly back toward the castle.

“I don’t know what assistance I can offer, but please do not hesitate to ask for it, your Majesty,” Piers toned as he bowed. Marnie followed suit with a small curtsy.

“I will, Duke Piers. May you and Lady Marnie have safe travels back to Spikemuth.”

“Thank you, King Leon.” Piers turned away, heading for the stables. Hop pulled away from Leon, rubbing his nose hastily.

“B-bye Marnie!” he said quickly. Marnie turned back and gave him a small wave before she and Piers disappeared further into the festival.

Leon let out a sigh, a bit of weariness showing through.

“Let’s all return to the castle. There’s much to be done.”

With a grim look, Raihan followed Leon. He stayed close by his side, and his hand never strayed far from his sword.

* * *

“So,” Raihan said once the door closed behind them, leaving them safely alone in the privacy of Leon’s sitting room. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was hired through a third party and never knew who he was truly working for. A whole day of intense interrogation and we have nothing.”

Leon let out a frustrated noise, hanging up his cape and putting his crown away carefully, as he always did.

“Unfortunately it seems that whoever was pulling his strings was very effective at making sure he never saw who was holding them.”

“Which is even more concerning,” Raihan sighed and crossed his arms. “As it means the puppetmaster is skilled.”

“Agreed,” Leon said, rubbing his forehead. He began pacing about his sitting room, unable to settle into their usual routine. “I have been trying my hardest to come up with possibilities for who it could be. What foreign power would be this dedicated? Or what internal power is this disgruntled?”

“We’ve had good foreign relations for decades. Even after the last—” Raihan glanced quickly at Leon. “…after your parents were killed, I thought it was determined that while the assassin was from Kalos, he did not represent Kalos.”

Leon nodded, still pacing about.

“I went to great lengths to investigate Kalos’ innocence and regain good relations with them. It was…” He frowned deeply, trailing off for a moment. “...it was much the same as it is now. That assassin was hired by someone they never spoke with, never knowing just who they had been hired by.”

Raihan leaned against the chaise and watched Leon pace.

“Do you think there’s a connection?”

Leon let out a sigh, finally sinking down onto one of the basic chairs in the room, He rubbed his forehead again, his brow furrowed.

“...I’m not sure. It… it would certainly be nearly impossible to prove, given how long ago that was… but…”

“But it’s possible. There would be certainly many advantages to having the king replaced by a young, inexperienced prince. Perhaps that was their same goal all those years ago. Putting a babe on the throne instead of a teenager.”

“Perhaps. Though Hop had his own scare months ago. That instance in particular did seem to be nothing more than circumstantial, but…”

“But,” Raihan finished for him. “We just don’t have enough information.”

Leon shook his head. “No… we don’t. Which leaves us in a vulnerable position.”

“Then we’ll keep our ears to the ground,” Raihan said. “And in the meantime, I will protect you. I just wish we’d learned more.”

“Me too,” Leon said, looking up at Raihan. “We did at least learn one thing. Which is only more concerning.”

“Sire?” Raihan asked, glancing over at him in confusion.

“We learned that the archer wasn’t after me. He was after you.”

“What does that matter?” Raihan asked.

Leon stared at him in silence for a heartbeat.

“Pardon?”

“What does that matter?” Raihan repeated. “We know the two assassins by the box were after you. They’re the ones that are important. The third was just to eliminate me so the others could do their job. You’re what matters, Sire. You are King of Galar.”

Leon stood, walking steadily toward Raihan.

“You’re the target,” Raihan continued. “I’m not part of any grand plan, I’m just an obstacle. I’m collateral damage. My life is only worth the speed of which I can take an arrow for you.”

Leon stopped in front of him, his voice strained.

“Is that… how you truly feel?”

Raihan looked down at him, confused by the tight look on Leon’s face.

“Of course,” he said simply. “My life would be a small price to pay in exchange for yours.”

Raihan had barely finished speaking before Leon snapped into motion, one of his balled fists flying right at Raihan’s face. Raihan was stunned enough that he didn’t even try to stop the blow. It connected squarely with his jaw and knocked him clean off his feet. He landed in a sprawl on his back and tasted blood, his lower lip split.

“W-what?” Raihan looked up at Leon in shock and betrayed hurt.

Leon’s entire form shook, and his golden eyes burned with rage. His voice came out as an enraged growl.

“...how dare you. How _dare_ you. Your life would be worth just as much were my hair any other color!”

Raihan realized with dread that he’d seen Leon cold, he’d seen him annoyed, and he’d seen him cross, but he’d _never_ seen him furious. He couldn’t remember _anyone_ who’d looked at him with the rage he saw now in Leon’s golden eyes. A bolt of fear struck his heart as he realized the depth of his mistake. He scrambled to his knees and bowed— no, _groveled_ before his King.

“ I'm sorry, Your Majesty. You are correct. I was foolish to so lightly disregard my value to your service.”

One of Leon’s hands roughly grabbed Raihan’s chin, forcing his gaze upward to meet Leon’s burning golden eyes. He spat out his angry words, a growl still in his throat.

“Do not _ever_ speak of your own life so flippantly again. I would throw you in the dungeon to teach you a lesson were I not still longing to punch the sense back into you instead!”

Raihan actually trembled in Leon’s grip, quaking before that terrible golden gaze. 

“Y-yes, Your Majesty. I know my life has worth. I did not mean to make light of it. I would never waste my life so frivolously.”

A growl escaped Leon’s throat, his fingers holding Raihan hostage as they dug into his skin. His face was inches from Raihan’s, hot breath easily felt as he snarled.

“You had _better_ not.”

“N-no, Sire. Of course not, My King. I'm sorry. Gods, I'm s-so sorry. Please. Please, what must I do to earn His Majesty's forgiveness?” Raihan shook, his whole world narrowed down to Leon’s furious golden eyes. His grip was like iron and his voice was like ice.

“You will stay by my side until further notice in case I wish to express my displeasure again.”

“Yes, Sire. Thank you, Your Majesty. You are gracious, My King,” Raihan rambled.

A violent snarl escaped Leon, and he grabbed Raihan’s collar, pulling him closer, the fingers still holding Raihan’s chin now to the point of pain.

“I grow weary of your _titles,_ ” he spat out the last word as if it were bile. “You are to never address me as such in private again _unless_ I specifically ask it of you. Do you understand?!”

Raihan shook, and his mouth worked silently for a long moment before his voice softly followed.

“Yes. …Leon.” 

“ _Good._ ” 

Leon finally let him go. He stormed away from Raihan, both fists shaking. Leon paced about the sitting room for a few moments, looking much like a caged animal. It was clear his rage was far from played out.

“I’ve never—I don’t recall ever being this _angry_ before. Dammit… damn you, Raihan…”

Raihan breathed hard, trying and failing to get himself under control. 

“Your M— Leon. Please… I spoke thoughtlessly. I’m sorry,” Raihan bowed his head. “I am yours.”

It only took three long strides for Leon to be in front of him again, and he effortlessly hefted Raihan up by the front of his armor. He brought their faces close together, his eyes still blazing bright and gold, like two small suns in his skull.

“You _are_ mine, and mine alone. Any other claim on you is forfeit and should have _always_ been!”

A shiver ran through Raihan that had nothing to do with fear, and only just now realized how aroused he was. He couldn’t have pulled his eyes from that penetrating gaze if he’d tried, and he let out a ragged breath, grateful that this armor kept him appropriately concealed.

“I belong only to you, and no other. My life, my will, my sword—” Raihan bit back the next words on his tongue, ‘my heart.’ He swallowed them instead and continued, “—my company. It’s all yours.”

“ _Damn right,_ ” Leon growled, “and if you _ever_ speak so lightly and disrespectfully of something I value again, I will make sure you regret it.”

He half shoved, half threw Raihan away, stalking to the other side of the room where his punching bag stood. In a flurry of furious punches, Leon wailed on the sandbag, going at this for a long while. Every now and then, a scuff or scrape appeared on Raihan’s left knuckles.

Raihan shivered on his knees for a moment, then slowly rose to his feet and took the opportunity to collect himself. He let out a long, shuddering breath, then stood at attention, awaiting his next orders. Though his mask of calm indifference was back in place, his mind was whirling behind that impassive expression. He knew damn well that this outburst had nothing to do with Leon being upset at the prospect of losing a reliable asset, and everything to do with how important Raihan really was to him. The longer he mulled over it, the more Raihan was convinced he was right. A rough scrape appeared and vanished over Raihan’s knuckles as Leon struck the sandbag hard enough to knock it against the wall. Raihan watched as Leon wailed on the bag, and wondered how things would have played out if Raihan hadn’t swallowed his words, if he’d confessed that his heart belonged to Leon and always had.

He closed his eyes against the thought. 

Leon already knew. Of course he knew. He’d known ever since they made a blood pact in a fairy ring that Raihan’s heart was his. But they both knew that confessing it to him would be forcing Leon to make a choice, a choice between duty and love, between desire and need. A choice that had the potential to devastate Galar. The King’s priority must always be to his country and to his people, never to one man. Raihan couldn’t bear the thought of putting Leon in that position.

So he said nothing. They would have to both carry their burdened hearts alone, and be satisfied with this closeness they could steal and nothing more.

Finally, Leon slowly sank into a chair, his rage played out. One set of his knuckles were scuffed and bloodied, the other was perfectly fine, as if he hadn’t touched the sandbag at all. Raihan had felt every scuff, cut, and scrape, however, and knew exactly what he’d done to himself, but he didn’t dare say a word.

The silence lingered for a short eternity before Leon stood and let out a sigh. He moved into his bedroom, heading toward his washroom.

“Come. Bandage this for me. I do not want Hop to worry.”

“Yes, Leon,” The word still felt strange on his tongue, and Raihan followed him to the washroom.

Leon gathered some first aid supplies, settling down in the washroom, and he held his bloodied hand out toward him. Raihan knelt beside him and tenderly washed his hand, soothing sores and bruises with gentle touches, then carefully bandaged him. A soft sigh escaped Leon as Raihan finished bandaging his wound, his strong hand shifting slightly under Raihan’s touch.

Raihan’s fingers slowed as he tucked away the last end of the final bandage, but didn’t let him go. Like so many nights before, he began to gently caress Leon’s hand.

Leon watched Raihan’s hands in silence for a long while. Finally, his own began to move, taking one of Raihan’s hands in both of his, tentatively starting to stroke Raihan’s skin. In all their months together, Leon had never returned Raihan’s touch, not like this. Gradually, Raihan’s hands slowed while Leon’s continued, until Raihan was the one being caressed more than the other way around.

Bandaged fingers gently slid along Raihan’s weathered hands, Leon’s gaze intent on their hands. His eyes gradually trailed up to meet Raihan’s, and he held Raihan’s hand tightly. In a smooth, deliberate motion, he shifted his touch from Raihan’s hand up to his face.

Leon’s hands tentatively brushed along Raihan’s cheeks, making their way up along his jawline and up to his cheekbones. He trailed his fingertips along Raihan’s prominent scar, tracing it from one tip to the other before he continued on. His touch was thorough but gentle, finding each new facet to the face he seemed to be reacquainting himself with.

Raihan leaned into his touch and let out a soft, pleased sound. His eyes fluttered and closed, focusing on Leon’s gentle fingers on his skin. The soothing sensations continued until Leon’s fingers found Raihan’s lips, brushing once along his split lower lip before lingering there and tugging on it.

Raihan made another soft sound, before his lips gently kissed the tip of Leon’s thumb. Leon pressed his thumb into the small wound on Raihan’s lip, painfully pushing it back against his teeth. Raihan grunted and finally opened his eyes, looking up at him in confusion.

Some of the anger had returned to Leon’s eyes. However, it was simmering in his golden eyes rather than overtaking them with blazing rage. He soon lifted his thumb off of Raihan’s lip, returning to stroke along his cheek with renewed tenderness. Raihan sighed and let his eyes half close.

Leon’s fingers explored his face a while longer before he cupped Raihan’s face with both hands, looking at him with an intense, complex expression.

“...my Raihan,” he said softly.

Still on his knees, Raihan looked up at him with a jumbled mixture of emotion, longing, sorrow, desire, pain, and love. 

“My Leon.”

The hands around Raihan’s face began to tremble, and Leon’s eyes unfocused for a moment. He let out a soft gasp, a small trickle of blood trickled from his nose before he curled forward, clinging to Raihan.

“Leon?!” Raihan gasped. “What’s wrong?” 

“I… I want…” Leon let out a small whimper, holding tighter to Raihan as blood came more freely from his nose.

Raihan reached around him and grabbed the cloth he’d used to clean his injured hand. 

“Here, let me just…” Raihan held the cloth to Leon’s face. 

Leon’s hands continued to tremble, and he held tighter to Raihan. His voice was stilted as he tried to force words out of his mouth.

“...y-you… I…”

“It’s alright,” Raihan reassured him and stroked his back. “Just close your eyes. Take a deep breath.”

Leon’s grip suddenly got very strong and he let out a noise of frustration.

“No! I’m not— I want—!” 

His words broke off with another sound of pain, the blood pouring more intently from his nose.

“Leon!” Raihan pressed the cloth against Leon’s nose in an attempt to stem the bleeding. “It’s never been this bad before. Tilt your head back.”

Leon obliged, tilting his head back, breathing hard through his mouth. He still held tight to Raihan’s sleeve.

“...dammit…” he swore bitterly, taking a few deep breaths. Gradually his trembling began to ease and the bleeding slowed.

“Easy…that’s it,” Raihan soothed, and tentatively took the cloth away. He checked to be sure the bleeding had stopped, then gently cleaned Leon up.

Leon took a shaky breath, then let it out gustily. He leaned heavily against Raihan, his head dropping onto his armored shoulder.

“...I am tired… I wish to go to bed…”

“Of course,” Raihan said gently. He carefully helped him to his feet and escorted him back into his bedroom.

Leon sat down on his bed, rubbing his forehead. His brow furrowed and he looked up at Raihan.

“It is still early in the day… I know you have other duties to attend to. I will not keep you here.”

“I can return to you when they are done,” Raihan said.

“Do so,” Leon said firmly. His tone changed, becoming much more soft. “...please.”

“I shall,” Raihan promised. He briefly cupped Leon’s cheek and then pulled away. 

Leon leaned against Raihan’s touch while he could, before his eyes trailed down to the bed.

“I will see you at sundown, Raihan.”

Despite the complicated afternoon, Raihan felt a thrill as Leon referred to him so casually. With much on his mind, he bowed and took his leave.


	14. The Long Cold - Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic now has fanart! The lovely Hoko has made some gorgeous art for the last chapter that can be found on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/HHokkori/status/1307885863167090688)

The days grew colder as autumn faded into winter. The first snowfall of the year found Raihan unexpectedly free for the evening. Steward Rose had found a major discrepancy in the monthly expense reports for the royal guard. It seemed a clerk with poor handwriting had been managing the accounts and caused a terrible mess, which left Rose, Kabu, and Leon pouring over the reports and trying to sort out what went wrong, where, and how much the crown needed to pay to fix it. The meeting promised to last long into the night, so Leon dismissed Raihan early.

Raihan knew Leon would signal him with a prick to his finger when the meeting was done, but that wouldn’t be for hours. Not wanting to waste his free evening, he collected Sebastian, whom he’d barely seen since the Championship tournament, and went into the Upper City to get a drink. Sebastian led him to a tavern that a lot of guards frequented, with good drinks, fair prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. The owner even offered discounts for members of the Guard, having found that his establishment suffered far less brawls or fights when it was half full of Royal Guards.

Sebastian happily talked with Raihan all the way to the tavern, his dark eyes warm and bright. The somewhat wiry-looking barkeep glanced up as they entered, doing a double-take and immediately putting down the glass he was cleaning to greet them.

“G-good evening, Sirs! It’s a pleasure to have the Champion in my establishment!”

This exclamation turned a few heads, earning them rather instant notice.

“Ah… just here for a drink, is all. Even I need some down time now and again,” Raihan said.

“Of course, please, have a seat. What’ll it be for you, then, Sir Raihan?”

“Whatever you recommend. Maybe a good ale?” Raihan glanced at Sebastian.

Sebastian nodded, grinning at him.

“The ale here’s pretty good. I’ll have one, too!”

“Two ales coming right up!”

Sebastian led him over to a table near the back, closer to the roaring fireplace. More than a few people stole glances at Raihan as he went, trying to get a closer glimpse at the King’s Champion. Raihan did his best to ignore them and leaned back in his seat. 

“Oh, it feels good to get out of the castle!”

“I’ll bet! You’ve been cooped up in there since the Harvest Festival!” Sebastian said. “We tend to get out here at least every couple weeks, though people like Ned are here every other night.” He rolled his eyes with a smile.

“Yeah?” Raihan asked. He knew all the guards by name and face now, especially after the incident at the Harvest Festival, but he didn’t know much more than that. He still trained by the barracks in the mornings, but even so, that left little room for socialization. “I’m glad you’re fitting in. Making friends.”

“They’re good folks,” Sebastian said with a nod, “I’m glad to work with them.”

He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off as a serving girl came by and slid their drinks onto the table. She gave them both a wide grin.

“Pete told me to tell you that they’re on the house!” she said enthusiastically. “Since it’s your first time here an’ all, Mister Champion.”

“Oh! No, really, you don’t have to do that…” Raihan said. The last thing he’d wanted was to make a scene. 

“Don’t you fret,” she said with a giggle and a wink, “he’ll be makin’ you pay for every one after that.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Raihan said and returned her smile.

“Oh good. I’m not exactly sure how we’d report you for an outstanding tab!” She laughed at her own joke, turning to leave. “Enjoy!”

Raihan sighed and gratefully took a drink. He spent the next while catching up with Sebastian, learning what his days were like and how he was enjoying the guard. They were both a few drinks in by the time the sun set. Leon still hadn’t signaled him, so Raihan settled in and enjoyed his downtime while he could.

Sebastian’s normally prim demeanor slid further away the more he drank, and he ended up falling into a couple fits of giggles. As he regained some of his composure from one such fit, he took a deep breath and grinned wide at Raihan.

“Hell, I’ve missed you, Raihan. It’s like you’re always around, but I never get to talk to you…”

“I’ve missed you, too, Seb,” Raihan said. He’d always been able to hold his liquor better than Sebastian, and was amused to see that hadn’t changed. “I’ll see what I can do about getting out more often.”

“I’d like that,” Sebastian said, his eyes warm. He leaned forward on the table, letting out a sigh. “This seems like the first day off you’ve had since becoming Champion… and it wasn’t even the _whole_ day, I saw you alongside the King earlier…”

“I do stay pretty busy,” Raihan admitted.

“ _Pretty_ busy,” Sebastian scoffed, “I _know_ you’re working your ass off, and he can’t even give you one day to go out and have a good time.”

“Sebastian,” Raihan said sternly. “I have very important duties. By necessity, I don’t get as much time off as the rest of the guard. And the King gets even _less_ time off, if you hadn’t thought about that.”

“Sure, but he has other guards, a _ton_ at his disposal. Surely he could let you have a break once in a while,” Sebastian grumbled.

“And maybe if I needed more breaks, I’d ask for them,” Raihan said, and didn’t bother to hide his annoyance.

Sebastian frowned at him, shaking a pointed finger weakly for emphasis.

“You’ve always been a workaholic. And now you’re in this really important position, with a ton more duties… I just worry about you working yourself too hard.”

“I’m fine, Seb, I promise,” Raihan said and took another drink. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian said with a nod, “I’m really happy for you. You worked so damn hard to get where you are… just, y’know…” He bit his lip, not meeting Raihan’s gaze.

Raihan frowned at that look.

“What? What is it?”

“...I… I don’t want to… I mean, this is your only night off, but…” He swallowed, and looked back at Raihan, a flush coming to his cheeks. “...would you want to c-come back with me?”

Raihan’s eyes widened, then grew sad.

“Sebastian…” He gently put a hand over Sebastian’s. “We talked about this. I still want to be your friend, but… we’re done. Nothing more than that.” 

Sebastian glanced at Raihan’s hand on his, then looked back up at him, open hurt and longing in his eyes.

“B-but you— you’re the Champion now! You achieved your dream, a-and now you can… I mean… I thought…”

Raihan’s heart ached. Dammit. He should have stayed in. He should have just grabbed dinner and taken it to his room and worked on that busted helm.

“No, Seb. I like you. You’re a good friend and an excellent bedmate. But I don’t love you.”

Sebastian winced, tears filling his eyes. His voice came out broken and upset.

“...did you ever?”

Raihan looked away. “...No.”

Sebastian snapped his hand away from Raihan’s, and rose to his feet. Too many emotions muddled Sebastian’s voice, along with too many drinks.

“...so I was just… a placeholder. Something to use until you got to the top and could have whomever you pleased.”

“No!” Raihan said immediately. “No, that’s not it at all!”

Sebastian sniffed, wiping his face with his sleeve and turned away.

“Good night, Raihan,” he said with a garbled voice, and started toward the exit.

“Sebastian!” Raihan rose to his feet, but Sebastian was already out the door. With a curse, he dropped down to his seat and put his head in his hands. _Dammit._

He remained that way for a long while until he finally finished his drink and stepped out into the night. He pulled his cloak up over his head, the falling snow coming down harder now. Both his head and his heart ached. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Sebastian. They’d started out as friends, and then things escalated after a night sharing a tent. Raihan had been so lonely, and Sebastian was so willing… He thought they were both on the same page, that it was just physical, and hadn’t realized Sebastian was falling for him until it was too late. 

_Damn it all to hell._

So lost was he in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he was being followed until it was too late. His only warning was the crunch of a boot in the snow right behind him.

Raihan spun around to face the huge, burly man behind him, but only managed to pull his sword halfway out of its scabbard when a second thug Raihan hadn’t seen to his left struck him across the back with a hefty club. Raihan gasped and stumbled to his knees, and a third burly thug to his other side seized his arms and pinned them behind his back.

“Well if it isn’t Champion Raihan,” a woman’s voice sneered. She strode into his line of sight, accompanied by a fourth brute. “Bag him.”

One thug produced a thick sack, and another strode over to Raihan and punched him hard in the jaw.

Raihan struggled, but even he couldn’t compete with the thick man keeping his arms pinned. He opened his mouth to shout and the man who punched him stuffed a piece of cloth in his mouth and got his fingers out just in time to avoid Raihan’s bite. The man with a club secured the cloth with a piece of rope around Raihan’s head. Raihan fought and shouted and struggled to no avail, unable to escape and unable to make himself heard over the gag and the muffling silence of snowfall.

The last thug shoved the sack over his head, tightening the tie of it around his neck. Raihan retched through his gag, the burlap sack smelling of blood and vomit. The next blow struck him on the back of the head, and pain spiked through his head before the darkness in front of his eyes deepened and he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Sebastian curled up in his cot and wept. If he’d been back in the garrison, he’d have been bullied over his tears, but here the guards were typically a higher caliber of person, and everyone knew how stressful their job could be. When Sebastian made it clear he just wanted to be left alone, the other guards in the barracks left him be and respected his privacy as much as was possible in such tight quarters.

Raihan never loved him. Not ever. 

What were they then, if not lovers? What kind of friend takes someone into their bed and doesn’t expect love to be involved? Was he really nothing more than a body to warm Raihan’s bed?

Sebastian’s heart ached and even through his intoxicated bitterness, he knew that wasn’t true. Raihan had been far less open than most of the soldiers he’d worked with, and kept his feelings close to his chest. Sebastian knew he didn’t sleep around, and certainly not with just anyone. 

It didn’t hurt any less, he thought bitterly. In fact, it made it worse. Sebastian was special. But not special enough.

His tears were just beginning to dry and his head starting to clear when one of his fellow guards hesitantly approached his bunk.

“Hey, um… Sebastian? Sorry to bug you, but…”

“Thomas?” Sebastian asked. He sat up and wiped his face. “It’s fine. I can’t wallow all night. What is it?”

“Er, well,” Thomas rubbed the back of his neck, “Sir Kabu is asking for you. He’s out in the courtyard with—”

“Drat!” Sebastian slid out of the bunk, and made himself presentable, leaving only a slight redness around his eyes to betray his tears. “Thank you, Thomas!” Sebastian shouted, and rushed outside the barracks without another word.

Down in the courtyard, there indeed stood Kabu, wearing a tense expression. And the man beside him was none other than King Leon.

“Sir Kabu? Y-Your Majesty!” Sebastian stammered and dropped to one knee in a bow.

“Rise, Sebastian,” Leon said. “We have an urgent matter to discuss with you.”

“We’re told that you had spent time with Sir Raihan tonight, is this true?” Kabu asked, his brow furrowed.

“Yes,” Sebastian said with a frown. “We spent some time in the Silver Saber before… well. When I left, Sir Raihan was still there.”

Kabu and Leon exchanged a glance before Kabu dropped his voice significantly.

“...as far as we know, Raihan still hasn’t returned to the castle. We’re trying to find him.”

Sebastian’s face fell and a hard knot formed in the pit of his stomach. Surely this was nothing. Raihan was fine. He was probably just still at the tavern.

“Perhaps he is still at the Saber?” Sebastian ventured tentatively.

“Perhaps…” Kabu said with a deeper frown. “It does seem unlike him to be out this late…”

“Ah, well…” Sebastian was a good enough soldier not to squirm, but he wanted to, and he couldn’t hide the uncomfortable expression on his face. “We did have a… disagreement.”

His heart clenched at the memory, the wound still fresh.

Surprise took Kabu’s face, and he nodded slowly. “I see…”

“Something is wrong,” Leon said confidently, and made eye contact with Sebastian. “I am going to the Silver Saber to investigate. You are coming with me.”

“Y-yes, Majesty!” Sebastian stammered and hastened to Leon’s side.

Kabu’s brow furrowed further and he sighed.

“Your Majesty, I must protest… it is incredibly reckless for you to go out at this hour…”

“I know that something is wrong,” Leon insisted, turning away from the garrison and heading at a brisk pace into the castle proper. “I will be cautious, and Sebastian will serve as my escort.”

“Yes, Sire,” Sebastian said, grateful that he’d had the foresight to grab his sword on the way out.

“I see there’s no deterring you from this, Leon,” Kabu said with obvious frustration in his voice.

“I’m afraid not,” Leon said, heading through the castle and finally stopped at his quarters. He motioned the other two inside and started equipping himself with several weapons.

“Take that cloak, Sebastian,” he nodded to a dark green cloak hanging on a hook across the room. “We want to do this covertly.”

“Yes, Sire,” Sebastian obediently threw the cloak over his shoulders. The lump in his stomach grew. Surely everything was fine. Raihan was just upset and drunk and lost track of time. 

Leon finished affixing his weapons and took another cloak from his armoire, throwing the simple black cloak over his shoulders. Carefully, he placed his golden crown in its usual spot, and he quickly twisted his long hair all the way up into a bun, then put up the hood.

“Come,” he said, striding out of the room. “Kabu, send out a city-wide all-clear alert if Raihan comes home before we do.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Kabu said, following them out of the room. His voice was weary, and his expression worried and tired. Sebastian briefly met Kabu’s eyes and nodded, trying to look confident and reassuring.

Hell. How was he supposed to fill Raihan’s shoes?

Kabu returned his nod, his dark eyes pleading with Sebastian.

“Come back safe,” he said simply.

“We will,” Leon said confidently. “This way, Sebastian.”

He turned and went down a back, dusty corridor. The passageway led deeper into the castle, and looked as though it hadn’t been used in some time. Leon glanced once to his left, seeming to regard something that wasn’t there, though his quick steps never slowed. Sebastian followed his gaze, but saw nothing more than the dusty stone wall. 

He was fine. Raihan was fine. Gods, this was going to be so humiliating for everyone when they got to the Silver Saber and Raihan was drunk and moping over Sebastian.

_Please be fine._

It wasn’t long before they came upon a simple wooden door that led to a spiraling staircase. Down they went, and they finally emerged into the crisp night air. Snow was still falling lightly, as it had been for several hours.

“We are now outside the eastern castle wall,” Leon announced quietly. “Can you gain your bearings enough to lead us to the Silver Saber?”

“Of course,” Sebastian said. He looked back at the hidden passage that somehow took them right outside the castle walls, but the door had seemingly vanished from sight. He quickly reoriented himself and led them both into the street. “Right this way.”

As Sebastian took the lead, Leon spoke quietly to him.

“It may be best for you to do most of the talking. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves. Just in case.”

“I understand. Leave it to me, Majesty.”

The streets were quiet as they reached the Silver Saber, the hour long past when most sensible people went to bed.

Leon strode inside, his steps heavy on the wooden floors, and approached the counter where the barkeep was putting up stools.

“Ah, I’m afraid we’re just about to close for the night,” the barkeep said, turning toward them.

Sebastian pulled his hood back.

“That’s alright. I’m just looking to see if Champion Raihan was still here.”

“Oh, it’s you!” the barkeep said with a nod. “Nah, I’m afraid he left a while ago.”

“Oh…” The knot in Sebastian’s stomach tightened. “When? Did he say where he was going?”

“‘Fraid not,” the barkeep said, shaking his head, “he left about an hour or so after you did, without a word.”

“I see,” Sebastian said. “That’s… thank you.”

The barkeep glanced sideways at Sebastian, then turned away and put up another stool.

“Didn’t expect you to be looking for him already, after the way you two parted.”

Leon’s head tilted as he glanced between the two men, but he said nothing.

“Sorry, lad,” the barkeep muttered, “none of my business. I’m pretty sure he went north as he was leaving, if that helps.”

North. Back toward the castle he never arrived at.

“It does,” Sebastian said. “Thank you.”

“Ah,” the barkeep said, turning back toward them. “A couple guys ducked out pretty quick after him. Two really big fellas.”

Sebastian’s heart sank.

“What did they look like?”

“Didn’t get a good look at them,” the barkeep admitted, “but they sure left in a hurry.”

“I see. Thank you.”

He turned and left the tavern, Leon at his side. He chewed on his lip and looked up at the silent winter sky. Leon turned and immediately started north.

“Clearly he was _intending_ on heading back to the castle,” Leon said quietly as the snow crunched lightly beneath their boots. “So something must have stopped him.” His voice got a bit harsher. “Or someone.”

“It’s been snowing all night,” Sebastian said. “But maybe we will still find tracks or… or something…”

“Not likely, but still possible,” Leon said, walking up one side of the street, his eyes scanning the snowy road. “Be on the lookout for any possible signs of a struggle.”

Sebastian fell silent as they walked, eyes scanning the snow. He only felt more and more sick to his stomach and wondered if his cutting remark would be the last words he’d ever say to Raihan.

“Sebastian,” Leon’s voice was quiet, not lifting far above the heavy quiet of the falling snow, “you are free to refuse to answer my question. What were you and Sir Raihan disagreeing about?”

Sebastian was silent for a long moment.

“We… had something, back in the militia,” He finally said. “Or, I thought we did, at least. Things ended before the Championship Tournament, but I thought we were just on a break, and… I guess I was wrong.”

Sebastian’s throat threatened to close up, his heartbreak only complicated by his fear and worry.

“He broke up with me.”

Leon was quiet for a long moment, and his voice was oddly rough when he next spoke.

“...I see. I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry into your personal affairs.”

“It’s alright. I just…” Sebastian trailed off and let out a heavy sigh. “Well. I guess he had other goals.” 

Leon took a short breath, then nodded.

“...Sir Raihan is… a very driven individual, I’ve discovered.”

“Yes, he is,” Sebastian said, then fell silent as his gut clenched again. 

They walked in silence for a while longer, and Sebastian became so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn’t see the lamplighter until they were almost upon him. He was muttering to himself from his perch high up on a ladder and had a stack of strange little tin cages with him. Carefully, he set one of the tin contraptions over the flame, which marginally protected the lamp from the snow.

Leon got Sebastian’s attention, then nodded toward the lamplighter.

“Perhaps he saw something?... It seems as though he’s been at his work a while.”

“Sir!” Sebastian called up to him. “By chance have you seen Champion Raihan out on the streets tonight?”

“Eh?” the man returned, looking down at them, “Champion Raihan? Yeah, I saw ‘im. Walkin’ slow an’ hunched over yonder.” He pointed toward a street branching off from the one they were on, heading closer toward the castle. “Took a turn left down the next street, an’ I saw some blokes duck down after ‘im. Seemed kinda funny, but I didn’ hear nothin’ after that, so I figger’d nothin’ was amiss.”

“This next street here? Thank you!” Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat and he headed for the street with extra speed in his step. 

“That makes sense,” Sebastian explained hastily to Leon. “That road’s a pretty common shortcut the guard uses. If he was heading back to the castle he would…”

Sebastian slowed to a stop as he reached the little street. Their entire walk, they’d seen the faded hints of footprints covered by snow, but here were the obvious signs of a struggle, snow strewn about.

“Dammit,” Leon muttered, and slipped forward to examine the scene. There was a whole mess of footprints and areas the snow had been disturbed, then covered with new snowfall. Leon’s sharp eyes took in the area from beneath his hood.

“It looks as though someone was dragged a ways before they were lifted and carried away. There was a big scuffle here… at least four different boot shapes.”

He moved carefully through the snow, delicately stepping over the slight indents in the snow. Finally, he knelt down near where the largest scuffle seemed to have happened. With a gentle motion, he brushed some of the newly fallen snow aside, revealing bloodied snow underneath.

The King’s hand shook slightly before he stood. He moved to follow after the footsteps that led in the opposite direction of the castle.

“We must make haste,” he said far too calmly.

A grim look on his face and fear tightening his chest, Sebastian followed his king.

* * *

Raihan slowly returned to consciousness, and the wave of agony knocking through his head made him regret every second of it. The first thing he did when he was dragged fully out of the darkness was gag as the smell hit him. The burlap sack was still over his head, reeking of blood, vomit, and death. Bile rose in his throat as he retched, but the gag still in his mouth helped prevent him from contributing to the stench in the bag. His jaw was sore from the gag, his head throbbed, and he was bruised in other places. His captors had handled him roughly, he thought sourly. 

Raihan tried to reach up and feel the inevitable goose egg that was on the back of his skull, only to find that his hands were shackled behind his back with iron manacles. Panic seized his chest. Raihan arched his back and yanked hard on the manicals to no avail. He kicked out a foot involuntarily, and found that his feet were similarly bound. The panic tightened around him. His eyes were wide and wild, but saw nothing beyond the fabric of the sack. His chest heaved violently and he hyperventilated through his nose. Horrible images crowded into his mind, soldiers dying all around him, the stench of rot in his nose, screams only he could hear echoing in his ears. 

He thrashed and struggled uselessly, screaming through his gag and yanking at his bonds.

_No! No, not again! I can’t— I won’t— I—_

A different pain, sharp and fresh, pierced through his panic like ice. A single prick to his fingertip.

Leon.

Raihan clung to sensation as long as he could, focusing on what was real and not remembered pain from the past. Slowly, his breath evened and the panic eased. He still trembled and pulled at his bonds, but at least his mind was his own again.

Leon. Leon was trying to contact him. Raihan needed to let him know, needed to tell him something was wrong.

He reached with shaking fingers for the needles hidden in his bracer, only to find that the leather armband had been removed. Upon further investigation, Raihan could tell he’d been stripped of his weapons and armor, and even his boots had been removed. He was laying on what felt like cold brick, wearing little more than trousers, tunic, and socks. He shivered. Gods, he was freezing. His hands were ice cold. How long had he been laying here?

“Ah, are you waking up, sunshine?”

A somewhat familiar female voice filtered through the bag before it was rather violently ripped off of Raihan’s head.

He was surrounded by the thugs from earlier, four lumbering brutes that watched him closely. At the center of them was the woman from the alleyway.

Raihan tensed, his eyes flicking to all of them in turn before examining his surroundings. He was surrounded by stacks of wooden crates, but could see little beyond that, though he got the sense that he was in a larger room. His eyes fell back on the woman, the obvious ringleader. 

“Not so great now, hm?” she jeered. “You were a lot easier to nab than I thought you’d be, _Champion._ ” 

She looked vaguely familiar, but Raihan couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

“What do you think, should we take the gag off? I know I want to… though these boys might advise against it.” She snickered as one of them nodded. “Just shut up and ungag him. He’s restrained.”

A brute yanked the rope off from around his head and Raihan spat out the rag. His mouth was dry and sore, and he couldn’t hold back a coughing fit. 

“Do I know you?” Raihan finally asked, his voice harsh and raspy. 

She burst out laughing, unable to stop for a few long moments.

“Of course!” she finally said, “of _course_ you don’t remember me! You absolute bastard.”

Raihan slowly sat up and watched the five of them carefully. 

“I’ve spent the last half year trying to figure out how I was going to destroy you. How I was going to make you _suffer!_ ”

Raihan’s eyes darted past her to find more rows of boxes. Rows of boxes and a high ceiling. Was he in a warehouse somewhere? If he could somehow get out of his bonds—

_Not again not again— don’t think about it!_

—then he might have a chance. The irons on his ankles were very tight and he could feel where they’d chafed his skin. There would be no getting out of those without a key or breaking the chains. The manacles on his wrists were a little more loose. If he broke his wrist, he could probably squeeze a hand out. His left wrist, obviously. If he didn’t manage a clean break, he could damage his wrist permanently, and he didn’t want to risk destroying his ability to wield a sword again. He shifted his wrists behind him and tried to find a good angle, all while stubbornly trying not to think about how terrifying it was that he couldn’t move, run, or fight.

That was when the woman figured out he had stopped paying attention to her.

“Hey!” she yelled, bellowing in his face, “are you even listening to me?! You show up out of nowhere, breeze past the Royal Guard tryouts, and then manage to secure the Championship?! Of _course_ it was rigged, you jackass!”

“What?” Raihan asked, snapping back to the here and now. “That’s what this is about? Of course not!”

He looked at her again and his eyes widened in recognition. She’d been the final knight he defeated in order to claim the Championship and the right to stand at Leon’s side.

“I beat you in a fair fight!”

“ _After_ you ran the Royal Guard drills?! There’s no way! Some shady magic or some shit, I don’t know. But regardless of _how_ you did it, if you’d just shut up and stayed in line, I would have won!” 

She grabbed the club one of the thugs was holding and swung it hard at Raihan’s legs, letting out another cry of frustration.

Something in Raihan’s knee _crunched_ and a howl of pain ripped itself from his throat. Well. There went any plan that relied on escaping on foot.

A sadistic grin flashed across her face, and she swung the club again, again at his legs, then again to his chest, wailing on him for a bit with it. Raihan rolled onto his side and curled up as best he could. He tried to protect his head, but she didn’t seem interested in bashing his brains in quite yet, and focused on assaulting his body instead. He grit his teeth and held back his cries of pain, not wanting to give her the satisfaction.

She finally gave one more really hard whack to his chest, smirking as she heard another sharp crack, and backed off. The woman handed the club back to the thug and sneered at Raihan.

“Well, it’s too bad, they’ll just never hear from you again, and they’ll have to hold another Championship tournament,” she gloated.

Raihan didn’t reply, winded from the last blow. His breath came in sharp, painful gasps and he curled weakly in a vain attempt to protect his broken ribs. 

Panic threatened to overtake him once again as he realized he wasn’t getting out of this. Even if he did manage to break free of his restraints— _don’t think about it, don’t think about it, focus on the here and now—_ there was no way he could fight off four thugs and a Champion candidate in his condition.

If he could warn Leon, let him know something was wrong… 

The thought didn’t provide any comfort. Even if Leon knew Raihan was in danger, how would he find him? Raihan didn’t know where he was. The sound of a blade being drawn interrupted his thoughts.

“I’ve tried to think of all the best ways to kill you,” the woman said, moving toward him with a sword that glinted in the low light. “But now that I have you, I really just want to rip you apart.”

Raihan’s blood ran cold.

“Wait,” he said as he frantically tried to come up with a plan. “Let’s talk about this. You’re really going to just butcher me like this and think you’ll get away with it?”

“Oh, _now_ you want to talk?” she scoffed, and snapped out with a foot, kicking him hard enough in the stomach to send him rolling across the dirt floor.

Raihan grunted and only came to a stop when he hit the stack of wooden crates. He rolled so he could keep his eyes on his assailant. 

“I’m just saying that this is all a terrible misunderstanding.”

“It was a misunderstanding that you stole away _my_ title?! Stole all that fame and land that was to be _mine?!_ ” She struck out with the sword, piercing his side.

Raihan let out another roar of pain that faded into a growl.

“ _That’s_ why you wanted to become Champion? Not to protect your King?” he snarled.

“Oh please,” she huffed, “that’s the easiest part! All he does is sit around in meetings all damn day! It’s the cushiest job that every noble aims for! And the first time in _twenty years_ it opens up, and you swan in out of _nowhere_ and just—!” 

She slashed at him, opening a gash across his chest.

Raihan writhed in pain and managed to push himself upright, sitting with his back against the crates. His hands searched for anything of use, and he found the rusty tip of a nail protruding from a crate.

“Easy?” Raihan panted. “I’ve fought off assassins and a dragon. If you think the job is so easy, can you imagine the consequences if I’d _failed_ to protect the King through that?”

She snickered, blood dripping from her blade to the dirt below.

“It would be far more humane than what _I’m_ going to do to you.”

Another prick to Raiha’s finger came softly through the pain of far worse wounds. Raihan stabbed himself on the nail, cutting a harsh, rough slash across his bond hand with the nail and the edge of the crate, rusted iron and wooden splinters tearing into his palm.

_Center of the palm means Help._

He didn’t think it would be enough for Leon to find him. But it might be enough for a goodbye. Moments later, another prick to his fingers came, a signal of confirmation. 

Raihan closed his hand into a fist and spat a bloody wad of saliva right at his attacker’s eye with surprising accuracy. With a cry of disgust, she raised her sword again.

“That’s it! You bastard!”

She bore down on him with a flurry of attacks. Slash after slash pierced his skin, though none were meant to be fatal. Finally, her rage had played out a bit, and she twirled the bloody sword in her hand.

“All right… I guess I’ve had my fun… but now, it’s time to end this, get paid, and get the title that was rightfully mine.” She shifted the hold on her sword, her gaze and stance clear that the next blow would be to his heart.

Raihan lay weakly in a pool of his own blood, trembling from head to toe. Breath ragged with pain, he looked up with a determined gaze to meet his death in the eye.

A loud crash came from beyond the crates surrounding the small group.

The woman lowered her sword, making an annoyed sound.

“Go see what the hell that was. The last thing we want is a witness.”

“Yes’m,” one of the thugs said, and lumbered away. 

The woman sighed again, turning back toward Raihan. She opened her mouth, but didn’t have a chance to say anything before a strangled cry rang about the enclosed space.

“What?!” she snapped, and looked at the other two men. A heavy thump announced the fall of the first thug as he fell back into the torchlight. He made a soft gargle, and that was all the warning the others got before Leon was upon them.

Leon burst into the light like a raging beast, his sword leading. He bore down on the next thug without quarter, brutally felling him before he could even draw his weapon. His moves were precise and calculated, though he barely made a sound, even as he withdrew his blade from the thug’s neck.

The third thug stared in shock at seeing the king stand before him, and the delay was enough to spell his doom. A single slash sent him joining his allies on the floor. The fourth brute grabbed the club and rushed forward with a shout. Leon slid underneath the heavy swing of the club, striking out with his unarmed hand to smash in the man’s nose before he ran him through with his sword.

Raihan watched the scene unfolding before him, and had the brief thought that this was a hallucination brought on by blood loss. His eyes widened as the last thug let out a very real dying gurgle and hope rose within him.

“L-Leon!”

Leon glanced his way, revealing his blazing golden eyes, his expression absolutely radiating with fury. That was all he had time for, however, and he gracefully moved to block a strike from the woman. As the two clashed, she seemed to be a formidable counter to Leon’s skill. Tempered steel sang and reverberated off the walls, a deadly song and dance. Then just as it seemed that the woman was gaining the upper hand, Leon’s attack pattern shifted.

In one more strike, he had drawn blood on her, and the next broke her stance enough that she stumbled. Fear slowly turned to awe as Raihan watched their deadly dance. He briefly wondered why the hell Leon needed a bodyguard when he could fight like _that._

Two more blows and she was backed against a crate, and finally with one last strike, he disarmed her. Cold fury burned in Leon’s eyes, and he held his blade to the woman’s throat. He spoke calmly, though his anger was clear from the snarl in his voice.

“Barietta von Vellune,” he snarled.

“K-King Leon, I…” she stammered, her eyes wide with fear.

“You have disgraced yourself and your lineage,” Leon growled, “and I will _never_ forgive you of this violation.”

“...b-but your Majesty, I—”

“ _No,_ ” he interjected, “you die in disgrace.”

With one swift motion, he ended her life, turning toward Raihan before her body had hit the ground.

“Y-you came,” Raihan trembled and tears finally spilled from his eyes. “I thought… I was afraid that…” 

Leon’s voice came almost gently, and he dropped his sword in favor of reaching forward to stroke Raihan’s face.

“Of course I came,” he said quietly, “I will always come for you. Do you recall?... I made such a promise… as did you.”

Raihan leaned into his touch, resting his head in his hand.

“I didn’t think you would find me… I d-don’t even know where we are and I didn’t know how to tell you…”

He unconsciously tried to reach for Leon and found himself still bound. He stiffened and pulled against his bonds.

_Not again, not again— it’s okay, it’s fine, it’s over!_

“I need… please… I need out of these…” Raihan begged, an uncharacteristic desperation in his voice. 

“Sebastian,” Leon said more loudly, “go procure us a wagon. Raihan is in no state to walk, and we must get back to the castle as quickly as possible.”

Sebastian stumbled out from behind some more crates, snapping to attention.

“Y-yes, your Majesty! Right away!”

With that, he dashed out of the warehouse, and Leon stroked Raihan’s face once gently before pulling away. He began to search the bodies for the key to Raihan’s shackles.

“I’ll get you free, let me just find the key.”

Raihan lay back and gulped for air. Now that his adrenaline was fading, the pain of what he’d been through hit him full force. His knee, broken ribs, and the stab to his side were the worst, but he was also covered in bruises and shallow lacerations. It wasn’t long before there was a clinking sound, and the shackles around Raihan’s ankles fell open. Leon crowded against Raihan’s front, carefully reaching around behind him.

“Lean on me,” he said softly, and opened up the shackles on his wrists.

Raihan let out a gasp of relief and sagged forward, anxiously rubbing his wrists.

“Gods… I thought… I was so afraid that…” 

“I am here,” Leon said firmly, taking one of Raihan’s hands and squeezing it briefly. “I need you to stay still, all right?”

He gripped one end of his fine cloak and ripped, tearing off a long strip of cloth. Raihan nodded, but couldn’t stop rubbing his wrists. 

“They got the drop on me… I wasn’t paying attention… didn’t hear them in the snow…” 

“You should not need to watch yourself so closely in Upper Hammerlocke,” Leon said quietly, “this was clearly a premeditated act.”

Leon began bandaging Raihan’s wounds to slow his bleeding, his hands firm and efficient in their work.

“She said she was furious I beat her in the Championship tournament… she thought it was rigged,” Raihan’s breathing slowly evened out. He let out a pained grunt as Leon bandaged his side.

“How utterly foolish,” Leon spat bitterly, “she could have easily taken on many other jobs with her skills. I cannot believe she would go so far as to wish you dead.”

“I know. I tried talking to her, but… there was no reasoning with her.” 

His hands had settled into a repetitive, compulsory pattern, rubbing his wrists absently over and over.

Leon finished bandaging his wounds as best he could for the moment and his brow furrowed. He reached out to hold onto Raihan’s hands, stopping their repetitive motions.

“Raihan?” he questioned softly. “...I’m here.”

“Oh…Ah…” Raihan stopped, only now realizing what he was doing. “I don’t… do well with restraints.” 

“I… I don’t recall ever seeing you this upset,” Leon admitted, stroking Raihan’s hands and wrists gently.

Raihan fell silent for a long moment, then finally closed his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was soft and wavered with a pain that had nothing to do with his injuries.

“You’re not the only one who has scars that cannot be seen.”

A moment of silence passed between them. Leon gently rested a hand on the back of Raihan’s head, resting his forehead against Raihan’s.

Another tear escaped Raihan’s eyes, then another, until he was finally weeping freely, letting out all the fear and pain and trauma that he had suffered. He fell forward and buried his face in Leon’s chest.

Leon wrapped his strong arms around him, holding him close. His calm, quiet presence enveloped Raihan within his embrace, and no words were said between them for many long moments. One slightly trembling hand slid through Raihan’s hair, and he took in a short breath, Leon’s chest rising up against Raihan’s face.

“Thank you,” Raihan finally breathed, and melted into Leon’s arms.

Leon drew in a breath, almost saying something once before he grunted slightly and let out his breath in a sigh.

“I am going to pick you up,” he said, “and we’ll go out to meet Sebastian on the street.”

Leon slipped away from Raihan, then as gently as he was able, picked Raihan up off the ground and held him close in his arms.

Raihan grit his teeth and managed to hold back his grimace into a single grunt as the pain returned anew once he was forced into a new position. He sank against Leon with a shaky breath.

“S…Sebastian?” He asked, confused.

“Yes,” Leon said, starting to make his way out of the warehouse, “we heard that you and he had gone out together tonight, so he was the first person we contacted when you didn’t respond to me.”

Raihan tensed in Leon’s arms as the memories of their harsh conversation came back.

“Feels like that was a thousand years ago…” 

“I can imagine,” Leon said quietly. He hesitated before he continued. “He’s been very worried about you.”

Raihan was silent for perhaps a beat too long.

“Of course he is,” Raihan sighed and felt sick. 

Leon went quiet as they emerged into the cold, winter night. His heavy boots made soft crunching sounds as he moved through the snow toward the street. A sigh of relief escaped him as he stepped onto the street and saw a modest sized wagon waiting for them.

“W-will this suffice, your Majesty?” Sebastian asked, scampering down from the driver’s seat toward them.

“Yes, it will do just fine,” Leon said, nodding to him.

“R-Raihan, a-are you—?” Sebastian asked, looking quite shaken by the state Raihan was in.

“I’m okay,” Raihan said softly, and reached out just long enough to briefly touch Sebastian’s hand. “I’ll be okay, Seb.” 

“O-okay,” Sebastian said, swallowing back his emotions as he nodded.

“Please, make haste to the castle, and I will tend to him in the wagon,” Leon said, moving around to the back of the wagon.

“Of course, your Majesty,” Sebastian replied and dashed back to the driver’s seat.

Leon moved cautiously as he got into the wagon, pausing as he stood in the bed of the wagon. He settled into a sitting position, holding Raihan close. He took great care to arrange him so that he wasn’t putting any pressure on his wounds and got him into as comfortable a position as he could manage.

“Go, Sebastian,” he called, and the wagon jostled a bit as it began to move.

Raihan couldn’t hold back a soft sound of pain as the wagon started up, but sank back into Leon’s arms with a sigh.

Leon reached up to stroke Raihan’s hair again, doing his best to soothe Raihan. His fingers gently slid through Raihan’s hair, then down along his face. Raihan relaxed under Leon’s gentle touches. With the last of the fear and adrenaline out of his system, and laying back against his beloved king, Raihan’s eyes fluttered and fell closed. He let his exhaustion overtake him and fell asleep in Leon’s arms.

* * *

“Sebastian! _Sebastian!_ ”

The sound of shouting awoke Raihan, and it was a moment before he recognized the voice as Kabu’s. He was still situated in Leon’s arms, and though he was warm and secure with Leon’s thick arms around him, the pain returned full force with consciousness.

“Sir Raihan is injured and needs to be taken to the infirmary at once,” Sebastian’s voice said from somewhere unseen.

“I-injured,” Kabu stammered from vaguely the same direction, “gods, injured and not—?!”

“He’s alive!” Sebastian said hastily. “Sir Raihan is alive and injured, and His Majesty is unharmed.”

“Thank the gods,” Kabu said, “I-I saw the wagon, and—” His voice trailed off as hurried footsteps neared them.

“We… we’re back?” Raihan finally asked, not wanting to leave Leon’s arms no matter how painful he was.

“Yes, we’re back,” Leon said quietly, stroking his face one more time before Kabu came dashing into view out the back of the wagon.

“Your Majesty! Raihan! P-please, let me help you get him to the infirmary!” He said hastily.

“Of course,” Leon said, and started moving. He gently helped move Raihan to the edge of the wagon, easing him into Kabu’s waiting arms. “Lean against Kabu a moment, I will carry you to the infirmary.”

Raihan leaned against Kabu, and he was tall enough that he practically draped over the smaller man’s shoulders. Though dawn had not yet broken, the courtyard was swarming with activity as guards rushed forward to help. Away from the privacy of Leon’s arms, Raihan shook his head.

“I can walk,” he said.

“Are you sure you should be, in your condition?” Kabu asked, his hands trembling slightly as he held onto Raihan’s shoulders.

“Hm,” Leon said, stretching after their time in the wagon, “if you insist.”

Raihan tentatively tried to put weight on his injured knee and hissed in pain.

“Perhaps just… some assistance…” 

“Of course,” Leon said, and slid his shoulders under one of Raihan’s arms. “We’ll go at your pace. Don’t rush it.”

Raihan nodded and held onto both Leon and Kabu. After some experimentation, he determined he didn’t want to put weight on his bad leg at all, and together they helped him limp all the way to the infirmary. Sebastian had the forethought to send a servant to alert the medics, so a full staff was ready as soon as he entered the door. A swarm of medics descended on him and was unceremoniously stripped and ushered into a bed where his many wounds were tended to. He’d been beaten black and blue, especially around his chest along his broken ribs, and his form was littered with shallow slashes. His knee spiked with pain any time a medic touched it or asked him to move his leg. Raihan tried to pay attention when the medic examining the stab to his side started speaking in fast, hushed tones. 

“W… what is…” Raihan tried to ask, but a medic held a cup of a foul-tasting liquid up to his mouth. He gagged as he drank it, but felt his consciousness spiraling even before he’d finished drinking. He fell back into the bed and let the darkness claim him.


	15. The Long Cold - Chapter 11

When Raihan next awoke, the infirmary was dark and still. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a long moment, letting his mind catch up with the memories of what happened. His thoughts moved sluggishly around in his head, as if they were made of molasses. He’d been moved to a different bed, he finally observed, and wore only bandages and a comfortably warm blanket. 

As he lay there, the air above him shifted, and slowly Allister’s pale, glowing face came into view.

“Hey Raihan,” he said with a small smile.

Raihan blinked slowly, then a smile pulled at his lips.

“Hey, Allister.”

“How’re you feeling?” the ghostly boy asked, floating horizontally, so that he mimicked standing in front of Raihan while letting him continue laying flat on the bed.

Raihan blinked slowly again, and took a moment before responding.

“Numb,” he finally said. “Can’t feel… bits. And groggy.”

Allister nodded.

“Makes sense. They gave you a lot of medicine.”

“It’s still dark,” Raihan observed, looking slowly around.

“Erm, not really ‘still’,” Allister said, “you’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“What?” Raihan asked, the revelation cutting through the fog around his mind. “How long?”

“Nearly a whole day,” Allister reported. “You got back a little past this time yesterday.”

“Oh… How is everyone else?” 

“Leon has been in and out a lot, checking up on you frequently. So has Kabu.” He tilted his head to one side. “I didn’t think anyone else was injured, why are you worried about them?”

Raihan blinked, and realized Allister was right.

“I… don’t know. Because I’m not with them, I suppose,” Raihan fell silent for a long moment, thinking about the frantic hushed whispers he vaguely remembered from the medics that took him in, and how very numb he felt compared to the pain he remembered. “This… was a pretty close call, wasn’t it?”

“That was certainly the impression I got from everyone’s reactions,” Allister said with a small nod. “Leon’s been incredibly worried.”

Raihan fell silent once more and looked away. Guilt hung about his shoulders like a weight, crushing him as he rested in the bed.

“What happens after death?” He finally asked in a quiet voice.

“O-oh, um,” Allister retreated into himself a little, but continued after a moment’s pause. “...I only know a little, ‘cause I know for sure that what I’m doing is… well, most people don’t stay. Most people go to the Slumbering Weald.”

“The Slumbering Weald?” Raihan asked, turning his eyes back to Allister. “What’s that?”

“It’s where souls go to rest. ...most souls, anyway. I’m still not sure why I never did.”

“You don’t know?” Raihan asked. “You don’t have, like… unfinished business?”

“Not that I know of,” Allister said quietly, “so I guess I’m just stuck here for a long while yet.”

“I’m sorry,” Raihan said after a moment. “I wish I could help.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Allister said with a smile, and relaxed into a more casual posture. “I’m glad I can be here with you and Leon and Hop.”

“Yeah,” Raihan smiled. “That’s true. Ah, hell. How’s Hop taking it?”

“He’s been pretty upset,” Allister said, “but they haven’t let him in here, yet. I think Leon doesn’t want him to see how roughed up you are.”

Raihan winced, “That’s a good idea. …Can you tell him that you spoke with me, and that I’m okay?” 

Allister nodded, calming further with talk of the cheerful young prince.

“I’ll let him know. He’s been begging me to sneak him in here, so I wanted to see you for myself before agreeing to something like that.”

“Smart move,” Raihan said with a smile. “Let him know I’m okay, but I did get hurt, and I’m going to need a lot of rest. And tell him this doesn’t mean he gets to slack off on his exercises!”

Allister chuckled, his bright purple eyes twinkling in the dark.

“I’ll pass the message along. I don’t think you need to worry about him slacking off, though.”

“Yeah. He’s a good kid,” Raihan returned his laugh.

Pain erupted through his chest, breaking through the numbing blanket as his broken ribs took issue with his laugh. It set off a coughing fit, which only made his chest hurt worse. Raihan half rolled onto one side and rode out the fit, then fell still, feeling suddenly exhausted.

“Water,” He finally croaked. “I want some water…” 

“Oh, er…” Allister floated slowly away, hovering to one side of his bed. “It looks like they left some on your bedside table.”

Raihan took his time and slowly pulled himself upright, sitting back against the headboard. As Allister had said, a cup of water sat on the table beside him. He took it with shaking hands and drained it dry.

“Gods,” Raihan set the cup down and sank back against the headboard. “I feel terrible.”

“I’m sorry,” Allister said quietly. He tugged at his rumpled clothes a bit. “...I’m really glad you made it back here safely.”

“Me too,” Raihan said quietly.

“I don’t remember there ever being this much trouble for Leon before,” Allister mused aloud, “Or Sir Kabu. I’m not sure what’s changed…”

Raihan frowned. There had been an awful lot of excitement since he won the Championship in the spring. Surely Kabu hadn’t dealt with this much danger while he was Champion.

“I’m just bad luck, I guess,” Raihan sighed.

A change came over Allister. He stiffened, his eyes went wide, and he began to tremble from head to toe. His gaze became distant, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might dissipate. Furniture and smaller objects in the room began to shiver with him, shaking Raihan’s bed. The edges of his glowing form rippled like water, starting to fade from sight.

Then his form solidified again and began to glow with a ghastly light, and his voice came firm and loud. Louder than he’d ever spoken before.

“You _aren’t_ bad luck, Raihan,” he insisted loudly, his form still quaking. Nearly everything in the room was now glowing with him, shuddering and lifting off the ground. “Something may be going on, but it has _nothing_ to do with bad luck.”

Raihan stared at him. He hadn’t seen Allister react this badly since he’d asked how the ghost had died when Raihan was a kid.

“Okay, okay,” He reassured. “It’s okay. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not me.”

“That’s right,” Allister insisted, taking a deep breath that couldn’t be heard. Slowly the objects in the room stopped shaking, along with Allister. 

“Y-your homecoming was the best thing for this castle since Hop was born,” he said with a thick voice.

“Thank you,” Raihan said quietly. “That means a lot coming from—”

He broke off as the door to the infirmary opened. 

Allister turned as Sebastian slipped into the room. Sebastian glanced quickly around and spotted Raihan.

“Raihan, you’re awake!”

He moved forward briskly, passing right through Allister’s form that dissipated around him, and Sebastian gave a big shiver.

“Gods, it’s freezing in here… do you need another blanket?”

“I’m okay, Seb,” Raihan said. “Probably. I’m pretty numb all over, so not sure if I would know.”

A short laugh escaped Sebastian, and he took a seat in a chair beside Raihan’s bed, shaking off his shivers and glancing around the quiet, otherwise empty room.

“I’m not sure if that’s better or worse…” Worry was clear in his eyes as he looked at Raihan. “Were you, um… talking with someone in here?”

“No,” Raihan said, and a quick glance around showed that Allister was nowhere to be seen. “Just myself.”

“Oh,” Sebastian said, and nodded, though the worry hadn’t left his eyes. “How are you doing? W-what happened was…” He swallowed.

“...yeah,” Raihan said after a moment. “Let’s say I could be doing a lot worse, all things considered. Did you hear the details?” 

He rubbed his wrists, not realizing he was doing it.

Sebastian reached over, resting a hand on Raihan’s gently.

“...not all of them. But I saw enough.”

Raihan’s hands stopped and he relaxed just a fraction at Sebastian’s gentle touch.

“Thank you,” he said softly. “And thank you for coming after me.”

“Of course,” Sebastian said, stroking Raihan’s hands tenderly for a moment. “...I was… I was so terrified… that my last words to you would have been such awful ones…”

Tears beaded in his eyes, but he didn’t look up at Raihan, staring at their hands.

There was a pain in Raihan’s chest that had nothing to do with his injuries. He gently entwined his fingers with Sebastian’s and held his hand. 

“You have a right to be angry, Seb. I handled this pretty poorly.”

“So did I,” Sebastian said, squeezing Raihan’s hand. “I… I should have understood from the first time you b-broke things off… I guess I was just…” He took a shaky breath. “...hoping.”

Raihan shook his head.

“I never should have led you on in the first place. You’re a good friend, and I trust you, and I should have left it at that. But that first night alone in the tent, I was just so lonely… I was weak. And I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“N-no, I…” Sebastian looked up at him to give him a small smile. “I wouldn’t give up what we had for the world. I just… need to accept that… we were on different pages. Even back then. And even now.”

Raihan gave his hand a squeeze and gave him a sad smile.

“I’m afraid so. But just because I’m not in love with you doesn’t mean it was nothing. It was _never_ nothing.”

Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and his smile got a bit brighter.

“It… it means a lot to hear you say that,” he said quietly.

“Good,” Raihan said. “Because you’re still a dear friend to me. I just… always had another goal.”

Sebastian bit his lower lip, looking away sheepishly.

“I think I see that, now.”

Raihan nodded slowly. Of course Sebastian would have guessed after witnessing the rescue.

“I’ve tried to keep it quiet,” Raihan said. “For obvious reasons.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Sebastian said. “A-and he… I mean… I’ve never exactly heard of the King going to _personally_ rescue someone before…”

Raihan was silent for a moment.

“Did you know I grew up in a little village a half-day’s ride from here? I met him when he was lost, after he’d wandered away from his escort. We were… gods, seven? Eight years old?”

Sebastian looked up at him in surprise.

“Wh-really?!” He grinned at Raihan. “You just stumbled on a lost Prince out in the middle of nowhere?”

“Yeah,” Raihan smiled. “We became friends, somehow. The crown prince and a grubby stableboy. We grew close. And then… we grew up. And I knew the only way to stay with him was to become part of the Royal Guard. Or Champion.”

Sebastian nodded slowly.

“And that’s why you were always so motivated to be the best.”

“Because I had to be. It was the only way to return to him.”

“Well, I’m glad you were able to,” Sebastian said, and gave his hand one more squeeze before letting him go.

Raihan’s heart ached at Sebastian’s withdrawal.

“So now you know,” he said. “Kabu’s the only other one who knows. Sonia suspects, I think, but no one else.”

“I understand,” Sebastian said softly, nodding to him. “You have my discretion.”

“Thank you.” 

A wave of exhaustion that Raihan didn’t realize he was holding back finally overtook him, and he slumped back against the headboard.

Sebastian gasped quietly, getting to his feet. He moved to help Raihan get comfortable.

“You should probably get some more rest…”

“Mm,” Raihan hummed and accepted Sebastian’s help. “That might not be a bad idea…” 

“That’s right,” Sebastian said, getting Raihan tucked securely into his blankets.

“Thanks for coming by,” Raihan said. He was fading fast enough that he wondered if that drink had another dose of pain medication in it. He struggled to keep his eyes open.

“You’re welcome,” Sebastian said, giving Raihan a smile. “Good night, Raihan.”

Raihan tried to reply, but was asleep in moments.

* * *

The next week passed in a blur, and Raihan spent most of it asleep or sedated by heavy pain medications. Finally, the medics declared that he was fit to return to his room, but was under strict orders that he was on bedrest, and was not to return to duty until further notice. Sitting alone in his room was better than sitting in the infirmary, but not by much. Bedrest threatened to drive him insane with boredom. Thankfully he still had a variety of projects he was working on for the armory, so at least he had something to occupy his hands, even if it wasn’t mentally stimulating.

He was stitching up damaged padded armor used for practice sparring one evening when he was interrupted by the familiar prick of a needle to his little finger. Raihan stared at it, as usually he was the one to initiate their usual evening ritual, not Leon. He quickly pricked his finger in reply.

A minute later, the passageway opened up, and Leon entered his room, dressed in casual clothes, though not his sleep clothes. He approached Raihan on his bed, his brow furrowed.

“Good evening, Raihan,” he said, “how are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been trampled by a horse, which is a significant improvement over last week, when I felt like I’d been trampled by an entire stampede,” Raihan said. 

Leon frowned, furrowing his brow further as he sat carefully on the edge of Raihan’s bed.

“This is only slightly comforting news, then. Though I am glad you are at least doing better, and they’ve allowed you to recover in your own bed rather than the infirmary.”

“I couldn’t agree more. This is much better than medics breathing down my neck every second of every day,” Raihan said, and set his mending down.

“It does ease my mind to have you much closer once again,” Leon said quietly, his eyes lingering on the mending that Raihan had been working on.

Raihan gave him a warm smile.

“Me too,” He said, then his smile turned to a look of worry. “How have your nightmares been without me?

“No worse than they were before you began soothing them,” Leon said, searching Raihan’s eyes. “I am far more concerned about your health.”

“The cuts and bruises are healing nicely, so I’m told,” Raihan said honestly. “My knee and ribs hurt the worst, at this point, and those just need more time. I’m fine.”

“Fine?” Leon questioned. “Fine enough to still be on bed rest and confined to your room?”

“I _will_ be fine,” Raihan clarified. “Whatever ruptured in my innards with that stab to the side got stitched up, and the broken ribs will just need time. The knee was a little trickier, but I’ve been told that if I just stay the hell off it and let it heal the way they want, I’ll have a full recovery.”

“That does ease my mind,” Leon said, reaching out to rest his hand on Raihan’s. “It has been… upsetting without you at your post lately. I’m glad you will recover fully and be able to return to it.”

“I agree,” Raihan said. He hesitated only a moment, then closed his hand around Leon’s. “How are the replacement guards fairing?”

Leon closed his hand around Raihan’s gently, his golden gaze upon their clasped hands.

“Well enough. Everyone has been on edge since your attack.”

“Good,” Raihan said. “We ought to be on high alert after everything that happened.”

“Yes,” Leon said quietly, “it is troubling to think that someone wished you dead so intently. And was so bold as to act on those wishes.”

“I know,” Raihan said. He gave Leon’s hand a squeeze. “But I’m fine. I’m going to be okay, and the perpetrators are gone.”

“Those ones are, but what if there are others who wish you harm?” Leon said, his brow furrowed. “It is natural for a King to receive threats, but… this never occurred with Kabu…”

“It seems there has been a lot happening this year that didn’t when Sir Kabu was Champion,” Raihan said slowly. “The assassination attempt, that man who tried to abduct the Prince, this attack… even the dragon. Char only rampaged because someone put a sword in his flank.”

“You’re right,” Leon agreed, nodding slowly as he mulled over Raihan’s words. “We never did conclude who had sent those assassins. The attempted abduction of Hop _seemed_ like a crime of opportunity, but… if perhaps they are all connected…”

“Or even some of them, if not all. Or none. That woman had a clear motive and grudge against me, but I swear she also mentioned she was getting paid…” Raihan sighed and rubbed his temples, head hurting just from thinking about it. “Either way, we have no leads on any of it. …I’ll just continue to keep you safe.” 

“Well, you still need to recover before you can do that,” Leon said firmly. “Though I imagine it must be rather lonely to be cooped up in here all by yourself.”

“It’s better than the infirmary,” Raihan said. “With medics and nurses poking and prodding and hovering over me all day. And I haven’t been entirely alone. The servants have been quite excited to tend to me. Allister has visited a few times, and both Sir Kabu and Sebastian have been in quite a bit to make sure I have everything I could possibly want or need.”

“That’s good,” Leon said, but his eyes trailed away from Raihan’s.

“...Leon?” Raihan asked after a moment of silence. 

“I… I apologize. I shouldn’t pry into your personal affairs, but…” One of his hands clenched the bedsheets. “...Sebastian mentioned that you two were… close.”

Raihan’s heart dropped.

“Oh,” he said. “What did he tell you?”

Leon still wasn’t looking at him, and his voice was quiet and guarded.

“He merely said that you two ‘had something’ when you were together in the militia. And that you had since broken things off.” 

Dread settled over Raihan. Part of him had hoped this subject would never come up between them, or that Leon would simply never find out.

“It’s true,” Raihan said quietly.

There was a long silence between them.

“I see,” Leon said quietly.

“It’s not— We didn’t—” Raihan sighed and sank back in his bed. “I first met Sebastian six years ago. He’s a good friend. We were often on assignment together and got to know each other quite well. We’d grown comfortable around each other. Trusted each other. And… one night, we had to share a tent because there weren’t enough tents for the entire company. It was cold and…”

Raihan swallowed and couldn’t look Leon in the eye, staring at his lap instead. “Things escalated.” 

Leon’s hand on the bedsheets tightened intently.

“...I… I see,” he repeated softly. 

“I ended things before the Championship Tournament,” Raihan said. “And it’s actually what we were talking about at the tavern the night I was attacked. Well. Arguing about. He wanted to start things back up again, and I turned him down. …I told him I didn’t love him. That I’d never loved him. Not like I lo—”

Raihan swallowed the word. He couldn’t say it. Not out loud.

“…Not like that. It… got ugly. I thought we were on the same page. That we were friends with a little more on the side, but not… I didn’t know how badly he’d fallen for me. It’s why I was so distracted while walking back to the castle. Why I let myself be taken by surprise.”

Raihan’s face burned with humiliation and shame.

“I’m sorry,” he all but whispered. “I know I was weak. I know I was wrong, and I _swear_ my loyalty is to you. I was just… gods, I was so lonely…” 

Leon swallowed, and his voice wavered just slightly when he finally spoke, still clutching the sheets tightly.

“...ten years is a long time,” he said. “It is an especially long time to traverse alone.”

“I cannot accept that excuse. It was weakness and I should have been stronger,” Raihan said after another moment of silence. “I do not ask for forgiveness. I shall never let my loyalty to you be compromised again.”

Leon took in a breath, and sought out Raihan’s hand, holding it tightly.

“...I am pleased to hear you say that. I… I’m not sure that I would call it weakness, to desire companionship… though to say I am not upset to learn that you were with another would be a lie.” He swallowed again. “I also recognize that it is possible that my perspective on this matter is clouded by feelings of jealousy.”

Raihan closed his eyes against the tears that stung his eyes. There it was. Confirmation that Leon loved him in return.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” He said, giving Leon’s hand a squeeze. “I never wanted to hurt Seb, either. ...I seem to be doing a lot of that these days.”

“...you unfortunately seem to also be getting _yourself_ hurt, as well,” Leon said, holding Raihan’s hand tighter. “And I do not wish to hinder your recovery by dwelling on topics that clearly upset you.”

Raihan nodded slowly and finally turned to look at Leon.

“Please believe me when I say that I still only belong to you.”

Leon considered their clasped hands for a long moment, then gave Raihan a brief nod.

“I believe you. You have striven to show your loyalty to me from the moment you returned.”

“Thank you,” Raihan sighed. “I will not stray again.”

Leon’s voice came out rather small and vulnerable.

“...thank you.”

Raihan sank back into his bed and held Leon’s hand for as long as his King would let him. Many long minutes passed with them sitting in quiet, holding hands. Finally, Leon spoke again.

“...is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable as you recover?”

“Mm,” Raihan’s eyes fluttered open, and didn’t remember closing them. “Between everyone checking in on me, I’m feeling quite pampered. But if you could magically transport the bathing room closer to this room, that would be quite lovely. The medics say that my wounds have healed enough for a proper bath, but the thought of walking all the way downstairs to the bathing room is exhausting.”

He meant it facetiously, though managing the stairs with his crutch and his healing knee had been a genuine nightmare. After one attempt, he’d decided that it wasn’t worth the trouble or the very real risk of taking a fall down the stone steps, and had simply requested the servants bring him a wash basin so he could at least stay clean with sponge baths until he could walk properly again.

Leon stroked the back of Raihan’s hand gently.

“...perhaps, if it is not too far a walk… you could use my wash room,” he suggested.

“Really? You would not mind?” Raihan asked, suddenly much more awake at the thought of a real bath.

“Not at all,” Leon replied smoothly. “I know the passage is a bit too short for you… would traversing it be difficult with your crutch?”

“I have strict instructions to avoid putting any weight on my knee at all, so it might be tricky. However, if you were willing to assist me…” 

“Of course,” Leon said, and slipped his hand out of Raihan’s as he got to his feet. In the next moment, he was moving as if to pick Raihan up in his arms.

“H-hey, hey!” Raihan held his hands up. “I just meant if I could lean on you! I’m injured, not helpless!”

“A-ah, oh,” Leon stammered, and stepped stiffly back away from him. “Of… of course.”

Raihan carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and picked up the crutch that sat next to his sword at his beside. He got gingerly to his feet, all his weight on the crutch and his good leg.

“Okay,” He said, a little breathless from just that. “I’m ready.”

Leon quickly moved to his side, offering his shoulders for Raihan to lean onto. Raihan put an arm around Leon’s broad shoulders and leaned against him, letting him bend down without losing his balance.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Tell me if you need a moment to rest,” Leon said before leading him over to the wall that gave way to the secret passage.

“I will,” Raihan promised. 

He let go of Leon long enough to type in the code to open the secret passage, the stone door opening with a now-familiar grinding sound. They traversed through the passage without incident, and soon arrived in Leon’s bedroom. Raihan straightened up with a sigh as they left the narrow passageway.

“Why don’t you relax here while I draw you a bath?” Leon asked, and helped ease Raihan down onto one of the cushy chairs in his bedroom.

“That sounds nice…” Raihan winced as he pulled against the long gash across his chest with the motion.

“Good,” Leon replied, “It shouldn’t take long.”

With that, he left the room, slipping into his wash room, beginning to prepare a hot bath for Raihan in his enormous royal tub.

Raihan sank back into the chair and closed his eyes. He’d declined the stronger pain herbs the medics had offered, not liking the way they made his head feel groggy and fuzzy. They’d still found a recipe that kept his mind clear, but at the expense of not fully managing his pain.

It wasn’t long before Leon entered the room again, heading right over to help him stand.

“Come now, while the water is still hot.”

“A hot water bath,” Raihan smiled. “You are spoiling me.”

He accepted Leon’s help into the bathing room, and only then did he realize the significance of the act. His _King_ had drawn up a bath for _him_. Personally. He hadn’t requested a servant come in and do it, he’d drawn the bath himself, just for Raihan. The revelation was sobering, and left him suddenly flustered.

Leon stopped at the side of the tub, his voice commanding, but gentle.

“Lean on me.”

He began to undress Raihan, and even though he always seemed to have servants do such things for him, his hands were deft and quick in their work. Raihan’s breath caught in his throat, and he could say nothing as Leon efficiently disrobed him. He still wore a number of bandages across his form, protecting the gashes across his arms, chest, and legs that had been stitched closed. Any skin below his neck not hidden by bandages was covered in half-healed bruises, worst around his chest, with ugly, blotchy green and purple patches under his dark skin.

Leon stripped him down to his underthings, and then gently began removing the bandages.

“...I’ll need to bring in my medical kit,” he murmured, his sharp eyes observing each bruise, each healing cut, each sore spot.

Raihan nodded.

“Y-yes. I’ll need to rebandage them after the bath.”

“I can help you,” Leon said immediately. “It won’t do for you to pull out any of your stitches trying to put bandages over them.”

“That’s true,” Raihan admitted. He bit his lip as Leon’s fingers ghosted over his skin, leaving warm trails of pleasant fire in their wake.

“On that note,” Leon continued, gently pulling off his last bandage, “if it will strain you too much to clean your back…”

Raihan swallowed, hearing the unspoken question clearly.

“Yes,” he said softly, then grimaced. “I may also require help getting into the bath. The last thing I need is to slip.”

“Of course,” Leon said gently. He finally stopped his motions, looking up at Raihan and meeting his eyes. There was something new in Leon’s eyes, though it was hard to decipher. The worry it was intermingled with, however, was easy to interpret.

“Take your underthings off, and I will help you into the bath,” he said, though the command in his tone was far lessened than usual.

Raihan nodded, then leaned on his crutch as he removed the last of his clothing. Between his nudity, his weakened condition, and the way Leon had meticulously catalogued his injuries, never had Raihan felt so exposed. Once he was naked, Leon silently helped Raihan into the bath, easily hefting his muscular weight.

Despite everything, nothing in the world could have stopped the moan that escaped Raihan as he sank into the hot water. The bath was even large enough that he could stretch out his long legs without touching the other side of the tub. 

“Gods,” Raihan sighed. “This is incredible…” 

The hints of a smile tugged at one corner of Leon’s lips, and he set about gathering the soap and sponge.

“There _are_ some perks to being King,” he said, also gathering some of his shampoos into his arms.

“I think I’m going to live in this tub and never come out,” Raihan said. 

“I’ve found that is often a powerful temptation with this bath,” Leon replied, walking back over to him. He set down the various things he’d gathered on a small table near the tub. “And I do think that soaking in it a while will do you good. So I’ll return in a few minutes to help you wash.”

Raihan nodded and made a vague motion with a hand. Leon slipped out of the room, giving him some privacy in the wash room. Raihan slowly relaxed in the hot water, as if the heat was drawing the tension out of him. Only when his head started to nod did he force himself to sit up, conceding that falling asleep in the bath was a terrible idea. He picked up one of Leon’s fancy soaps and carefully started to wash himself. He didn’t get far before the bar slipped from his fingers, dropping beneath the water and sliding to the far end of the tub. He groaned, then grabbed another bar and used it to lather up a sponge this time. He dropped the sponge a few more times as he washed himself, but at least the sponge floated and he was able to clean anywhere he could reach. 

Leon returned a little while later, and paused in the doorway.

“Do you need any further assistance?” he asked quietly.

Raihan glanced over at him.

“You were correct about my inability to sufficiently wash my back,” Raihan admitted.

Leon nodded, moving to the side of the tub. He picked up the sponge and soap and gently lathered it in his hands.

“Lean forward,” he said softly, leaning on the edge of the tub.

Raihan obliged and leaned forward. Despite his numerous wounds, Raihan’s back was relatively unscathed, as he’d spent most of his time laying on his back during the attack.

Leon’s touch with the sponge was gentle, but thorough. He scrubbed Raihan’s back, occasionally brushing some of Raihan’s hair out of the way. His fingers lingered on Raihan’s hair a few times.

“Would you like me to help wash your hair as well?” Leon quietly offered.

“Yes, please,” Raihan replied.

Leon leaned over to retrieve the shampoo, pouring some into his hands. He gently worked the shampoo into his scalp and hair, massaging Raihan’s head along the way. His strong fingers were tender, but firm enough to soothe tension. A soft sound escaped Raihan’s throat and he leaned his head back into Leon’s strong hands.

The hints of a smile tugged at Leon’s lips again, and he took his time lathering the shampoo and massaging Raihan’s scalp. He let the soap linger long in Raihan’s hair a while, soothing as they worked through the suds. Finally Leon lifted his hands off of Raihan’s head, rinsing his hands in the water as he reached for a small basin.

“Close your eyes,” he said softly near Raihan’s ear, filling the basin with water. A pleasant shiver ran down his spine at Leon's voice so close to his ear. 

“Mmm…” Raihan hummed, and let his eyes fall closed. 

Leon poured the water over Raihan’s head, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. He did this two more times, rinsing all the suds out of his hair and stroking his wet hair gently. Soft fabric wiped his face dry, and Leon’s soft voice spoke again.

“All done.”

Raihan opened his eyes and looked up at Leon, his gaze soft and tender.

“...Thank you.” 

Leon’s normally cold eyes were unusually warm as he stared back into Raihan’s.

“You’re welcome.”

His fingers slipped some of Raihan’s wet hair from his face, staring intently into Raihan’s eyes. Leon gently cupped Raihan’s cheek, letting out a soft sigh.

“I am so grateful that you are here with me.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Raihan said. He fell into those beautiful golden eyes, and never wanted to come out. It might have been just Raihan’s hopeful wishes, Leon’s eyes looked warmer than they ever had in the past few months. 

Leon’s thumb stroked Raihan’s face tenderly.

“...that pleases me. I would have no one else by my side.”

Leon was so close. The temptation to lean in those last few inches and claim his lips was almost overwhelming. He lifted his head and leaned upward, and for just a moment, it seemed like he would do it. Raihan froze, only inches away from Leon’s lips, and let out a low breath. He turned away. 

“...The water is getting cold,” Raihan said softly, “and the hour is getting late. I should return to my room.”

A moment passed before Leon replied, his own voice soft.

“Yes, of course.” He stood up, retrieving a soft towel from a shelf. “Let me help you out of the tub…” Leon’s strong arms easily helped Raihan stand and out of the tub, and he offered a stable arm for Raihan to lean on as he toweled off.

Raihan gratefully leaned on him as he dried himself. He kept his eyes averted and tried to banish the tempting thoughts lingering in his mind. Leon was a calm presence, and didn’t rush Raihan through anything. He leaned Raihan onto the edge of the tub once he was dry.

“Let me get you a robe. Then we’ll redress your wounds.”

He retrieved a robe from a cupboard, and he helped Raihan slip it on without hesitation. Then he offered his shoulder once again, leading Raihan to the comfortable chaise they so often sat on together, where Leon’s first aid kit was waiting.

Raihan eased down onto the chaise, and realized he genuinely felt better than when he’d sat in the chair before the bath. The hot water and Leon’s gentle touches had relaxed him, even with the distracting thoughts Raihan fought hard to ignore.

Leon set about his task of rebandaging Raihan’s wounds. He applied a pain salve to many of them before putting the bandages on, and his fingers were gentle in their work. Leon’s hands were warm and strong against Raihan’s skin, tenderly rubbing in the pain salve around his stitched wounds and the worst of his bruises before gently wrapping him in clean bandages. Raihan’s eyes fell closed as Leon worked.

His fingers brushed and pressed Raihan’s freshly cleaned skin, and in the calm quiet of Leon’s quarters, it wasn’t hard to imagine a slightly different scenario. One where his hands were parting Raihan’s robe for reasons other than to tend to his wounds.

It felt both like a very long time and no time at all before Leon was bandaging the last of Raihan’s wounds, stroking along the rough bandage to be sure it was in place.

“There we are. Hopefully I did a decent job of it.”

Raihan let out a long sigh and looked over himself. 

“It’s wonderful. Thank you, Leon.” 

“You’re welcome. I do hope this helped to ease some tension for you.”

Raihan's mind jumped right to another way they could have relieved some tension and immediately smothered the thought. 

“It has, absolutely.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Leon replied. He looked over at Raihan’s crutch and frowned. “Hm… walking back to your room will likely negate some of that…”

“Negate?” Raihan asked, already reaching for his crutch.

Leon caught the crutch with one hand, preventing Raihan from taking it.

“It would make you tense all over again,” he clarified, and stood up from the chaise. “If I carry you back, however, this will not happen.”

“Carry? But Your Maj— Leon, surely that isn’t necessary,” Raihan protested, a flush darkening his ears.

Leon frowned at him, holding the crutch out to him.

“You would not allow me to carry you for the trip here, at least allow me to carry you for the trip back.”

Raihan hesitated. 

“Well… if it will make you feel better about it…” 

“It will,” Leon said firmly.

“Then I accept,” he said.

“Good. Hold the crutch, and I will hold you,” Leon said, handing off the crutch to Raihan. He gently took hold of Raihan, lifting him up into a princess hold with little effort. His strong arms held Raihan close, and he easily maneuvered him about, even to press the sequence into the wall to open up the passage.

“I do look forward to you being recovered enough to join me in my bed again,” Leon said quietly, the words echoing slightly in the dim passageway.

After having Leon’s hands all over him for the past while and being held in his strong arms, that last statement was too much. Raihan was grateful that the robe was concealing enough for the moment.

“...As do I,” he said softly.

“I’m glad,” Leon said as they emerged into Raihan’s room.

He gently lay Raihan down onto his bed, replacing the crutch in its place near Raihan’s sword.

“Leon,” Raihan gently reached out to catch his hand.

Leon startled slightly, but easily clasped Raihan’s hand. “Yes?”

Raihan had too many words he wanted to say, too many things he wanted to express, and a great many of them were inappropriate for a subject to say to his king. He held his silence, trying to find the right words for a long moment.

“...May you sleep well,” he finally said, and let his hand slip from Leon’s.

Leon let Raihan’s hand slip from his, but he gave him a nod. This time, Raihan was sure of it, there was a rising warmth in Leon's golden eyes, like a sliver of the dawning sun.

“And you as well, Raihan.”

He turned back toward the passage, easily repeating the pattern he’d witnessed Raihan do earlier, and slipped out of the room.

Raihan sank back into the bed, and didn’t relax until the stone door had closed behind Leon. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, but sleep did not find him. He couldn’t shake the memory of Leon’s hands on his skin, running through his hair, strong arms around him, or laying against his broad chest. He thought once more of Leon gently parting his robe and those warm hands sliding onto his skin. 

He cursed under his breath and rolled onto his back. Raihan checked once more that the stone door was safely closed, then let go of his iron self-control. He imagined those hands on him once more, and Raihan slid his robe open to trail his own fingers across his skin. He thought of Leon over him, hands gliding over his chest, down his stomach, to tease along his thighs. In his mind, Leon’s deep voice whispered unmentionable things in his ear and kissed along his neck. With a moan, Raihan finally gave in and lost himself in his fantasies of warm breath, soft lips, long hair, and brilliant golden eyes.


	16. The Long Cold - Chapter 12

A few weeks later, Raihan had graduated from “bedrest” to “light duty,” which was hardly any better, in his opinion. He was finally allowed to guard Leon again, but only during meetings or while Leon was in his office. While on duty, Raihan was required to sit as much as possible, at the behest of the medics, and he was only on duty for an hour or two at a time before he was relieved and sent to rest. The entire Royal Guard, and even a good portion of the servants and other support staff had banded together to ensure that Raihan had an easy job and a relaxing recovery.

“I hate it,” Raihan complained to Kabu. “I hate being babied and coddled.”

He slouched in a chair in Kabu’s office, long legs sprawled in front of him. His bandages were long removed and his ribs no longer complained every time he took a deep breath, but his knee still had a brace wrapped around it for stability. Even though it was still midafternoon, he’d been relieved for the evening, along with most of the castle staff, on account of it being Midwinter’s Eve. With no other duties to attend to and Leon still working in his office, Raihan had decided to bother Kabu instead.

“You know,” Kabu said as he lightly dipped his quill in an inkwell, “most people would be grateful for the time off, especially around Midwinter.”

“I’ve had nothing but time off!” Raihan said. “I’ve repaired every piece of practice armor and training weapon in the guard stores because I’ve been so _bored_.”

“And I’m sure they appreciate the contribution that you continue to make, despite the fact that you could have just sat around instead,” Kabu said patiently. “I have some excellent poetry books if you’d rather read something, and I know Sonia always has recommendations…”

Raihan groaned.

“I’m sick of sitting around. I want to get out and _do_ something.”

“And what do the healers think of that idea?” Kabu asked patiently.

“They said I need to be easy on my knee, or it may not heal correctly,” Raihan grumbled.

“Mmhm,” Kabu said, still writing, “and how much longer are you set to be kind to your knee?”

“At least another month,” Raihan said with a sigh. “With the chance of even _longer_ if it isn’t healing the way they want.”

“Then unfortunately, it sounds like you might be stuck doing very little for a while, yet,” Kabu said, finishing off his writing with a slight flourish.

Raihan let out a loud, excessively whiny groan.

“It’s Midwinter tomorrow, and they won’t even let me go outside. They don’t want me to risk slipping on the ice, _and_ it’s supposed to snow tonight. It’s going to be gorgeous, and I can’t go out.”

Kabu chuckled softly, finally looking back up at Raihan.

“Stuck inside where it’s nice and warm instead of going outside to freeze your fingers off… doesn’t sound too bad to me.”

“Of course. Nice, cozy, and safe. And boring. Prince Hop said there would be ice skaters on Lord Willoughby’s big pool,” Raihan said. “He’s taking an entourage to go see them tomorrow.”

“Ah, that will be fun for him,” Kabu said with a small smile. “I’ll have to be sure he dresses warm, as I’m sure King Leon will ask me to be part of his entourage.”

“Tell me how it is,” Raihan grumbled, then fell silent for a moment. “What does the King usually do during Midwinter?”

“The King always makes a speech at the main event of the festivities, and during that same ceremony, he gives an honorary gift to the city as a Hammerlocke tradition,” Kabu said, leaning back in his chair. “He’s spread the tradition to many of the other capital cities, and ensures that each city is able to give a gift to their citizens. Whether it’s a new structure or a renovation, or something more exciting… he usually leaves that up to the leader of the area.”

“I see. Remind his escort about what happened at the harvest festival,” Raihan said firmly. “I won’t stand for anything to happen to the King just because I couldn’t be there.”

“I imagine that King Leon will request your presence, provided you take the necessary precautions,” Kabu replied. “And I’m sure your reminder will mean more than any I can give, _Champion_ Raihan.” He smiled a bit more.

“Oh, I’ll give them a lecture, all right,” Raihan said. “And if anyone _dares_ suggest I get carried over the ice and snow, so help me…” 

“Even if the suggestion comes from the King?” Kabu asked with clear amusement in his voice.

Raihan gave Kabu a sideways look.

“If you give Leon that idea, I vow to never forgive you.”

Kabu’s eyebrows raised slightly, but he didn’t lose his smile.

“What makes you think that I would need to suggest such a thing to him? He was quite eager to carry you around when you made it back to the castle.”

“Yes, well,” Raihan sputtered. “I was much more out of sorts at the time!”

“True enough, though I have little doubt that the King will continue to insist on making sure that you recover fully.” Kabu’s eyes twinkled. “Despite your best efforts.”

Raihan sighed and slumped further back in the chair.

“It’s stupid. Light duty is worse than no duty at all. It’s practically a farce of my real job. What exactly is the point of me if I can’t protect the King?”

The twinkle in Kabu’s eyes vanished, and his expression got somber, almost sad.

“...careful, Raihan. It is dangerous to stake your self-worth on anything that can degrade. There _will_ come a point when you can no longer protect him, whether it comes tomorrow or many decades from now.”

Raihan immediately sobered up at the change in Kabu’s tone. He took note of the office they currently sat in, and thought of Kabu himself, forced by age to retire to this desk job after so many years protecting the royal family.

“Of course,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. To either you or myself.”

Kabu nodded curtly, though his eyes were still warm.

“I know. It can be incredibly frustrating to be stagnant, and feel as though you may start gathering moss if you don’t start moving.”

“Yes, exactly. And I hate feeling like I can’t do my job. I feel… incompetent.”

“You are not incompotent,” Kabu said firmly. “You were caught in an unprecedented situation and still made it out to tell the tale.” His eyes trailed along Raihan’s facial scar. “Again.”

A smile pulled at Raihan’s lips. 

“I do seem to be making a habit of that.”

Kabu sighed heavily, shaking his head.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” he said with exasperation, “it would certainly be easier on my nerves.”

“I make no promises,” Raihan said, “but I’ll try. And… thank you. For caring.”

Kabu looked slightly surprised, and the small smile returned to his lips.

“Of course. I could do no less. You have been an important part of this household for many years, even before your return last spring.”

Raihan fell silent for a moment and debated on his next words.

“Kabu. Can I say something possibly inappropriate for a professional environment?”

Kabu’s eyebrows raised slightly again, but he finally put down his quill that he hadn’t written with in a long while.

“Yes, you may.”

“Are you aware of my upbringing? Before I met Leon?”

A curious look crossed Kabu’s face, and he shook his head.

“I know that you grew up in Clearfield, and that you came from very little. Though that’s about all I know, I’m afraid.”

“I was raised by Aria, owner of the Clearfield Inn. My mother was her serving girl, and she raised me when my mother passed away during childbirth. …I never knew who my father was.” Raihan couldn’t look at Kabu. His ears burned as he finally forced the words out. “I think, if I had a father, I’d want him to be something like you.” 

A silence hung between them for a few heartbeats before Kabu spoke, his own voice flustered and thick with emotion.

“I… that’s…” He cleared his throat softly. “...thank you, Raihan. In turn, I… if I were to have a son, I would be honored to have one as respectful, loyal, and kind as you are.”

Raihan finally chanced a glance at Kabu.

Kabu was looking properly flustered, with a slight flush on his cheeks. His eyes were very warm, with the slightest bit of glisten in them, and he gave Raihan a small smile.

“...it pleases me to hear you say such things.”

Raihan gave him a warm smile in return, and finally rose gingerly to his feet. 

“I should let you get back to your paperwork.”

“I suppose I should get back to it, yes,” Kabu said, blinking a few too many times. “...and Raihan?”

“Yes?” Raihan asked, stopping in the doorway and looking over his shoulder.

“...if you ever wish to discuss things on a more personal basis… I hope that you feel comfortable doing so.”

Emotion rose in Raihan's chest, filling his heart to the brim and threatening to also fill his eyes with tears.

“Of course,” he said and turned away.

“That said,” Kabu added smoothly, “try not to derail the King’s day _too_ much as you move on to complain in his office, hm?”

Raihan almost missed a step and blanched, as he indeed planned on going to Leon’s office next. He looked once more back at Kabu.

Kabu gave him an innocent smile, picking up his quill again.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate a break from paperwork as much as I did.”

Raihan stared at him, wondering briefly if Kabu could read his mind, then let out a soft laugh. 

“Then I’d better go give him the excuse for a break. I’ll see you later, Kabu.”

“See you later, Raihan.”

Raihan went directly to Leon’s office, still feeling restless and antsy. He knocked lightly on the closed door.

“Come in,” came Leon’s soft reply.

Inside, he was seated at his desk, between two royal guards as he worked on his own paperwork. He looked up as Raihan entered, giving him a small nod.

“Good afternoon, Champion Raihan.”

“Your Majesty,” Raihan said with a short bow. “Am I disturbing you?”

“You are not,” he replied, finishing off a signature. “How are you faring today?”

“Well enough,” Raihan said. He strode into the room and took a seat opposite Leon’s desk. “Bored and restless, but well enough.”

“I imagine it must be very frustrating to be unable to perform your duties,” Leon said with a nod.

“Indeed,” Raihan said. “I can’t even spar with my fellow guards to keep my skills sharp.”

He scowled at the two guards in the room. They had the gall to not only appear entirely unintimidated, but mildly amused as well, as they had both turned down his pleas to spar with him this morning.

“That _does_ sound quite disheartening,” Leon commented, pushing one paper aside in favor of another. “Though it’s probably not a good idea to spar until you’re fully healed.”

Raihan huffed loudly and ran a hand down his face. 

“I _know_. Which is yet another reason for my frustration.”

Leon glanced up at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Would you have truly taken any of them up on it, if they had agreed? Despite the healers’ orders?”

“Yes,” Raihan replied immediately, then grimaced. “I mean, I _would_ be cautious, and I wouldn’t push myself. But even just a light bought, with no footwork, and no strikes below the waist, just to be safe…” 

He sighed, and it was perhaps a tad dramatic.

Leon looked up at him, that growing warmth in his eyes.

“It sounds as though you’ve given this a lot of thought, Sir Raihan.”

“I’ve certainly had the free time to think,” he replied dryly, but the look in Leon’s golden eyes filled his heart.

“Naturally,” Leon said, and went back to writing. “I imagine that anyone foolish enough to take you up on such a venture would likely be punished rather severely by Sir Kabu. He has been quite adamant that you rest and recover.”

“I just came from his office,” Raihan grumbled. “I am well aware. That doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.”

There was the briefest of twitches to one corner of Leon’s lips. His quill didn’t waver as he continued his work.

“Well, it sounds as though you are decidedly unhappy. What might you propose to remedy this situation?”

“I need something to _do_ ,” Raihan said immediately. “I am continuously being told to enjoy my rest, but I’ve been resting for far too long! Even if I have to sit in a bed, I need to keep busy.”

“I know that you have been very vigorously helping out the guard by repairing a lot of equipment,” Leon offered.

“That is true. To the point that I’ve caught up on all maintenance. I’ve finished all my running projects,” Raihan said. “I was quite productive those first weeks.”

“And now you dream of a watered down duel to tide you over,” Leon stated more than asked.

“Well, it sounds pathetic when you say it like that,” Raihan huffed.

“How would you say it, then?” Leon asked, setting his quill aside. “How would you convince someone to spar you in your current state?”

Raihan thought about it for a moment.

“Maybe if I had someone to run through exercises with me,” he said. “Not even a proper spar, but just going through steps and forms, like we were training.”

“Hm,” Leon toned, starting to gather up his paperwork and stack it, “that sounds a bit droll for your training partner.”

“A bit droll for me, too, if we’re being honest. But it’s better than sitting in bed.”

“Indeed,” Leon said, getting to his feet. “I imagine you are quite sick of your own bed by this point.”

Raihan caught that very specific phrasing and kept his face carefully blank.

“Indeed, Sire. I am.”

“Hm,” he toned again, starting toward the door. The two guards glanced at each other then Raihan before they moved to follow Leon, startled at the change in routine. “I must admit, your sad story has moved me, Sir Raihan. Something must be done.”

“I look forward to your input on the matter,” Raihan said. He got up and followed them out of the office.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Leon said, and turned in a different direction than he normally did in his routine. “I am prepared to give you my input now, if you have the time to hear it.”

“...Sire?” Raihan asked curiously, but followed him, along with the two guards.

Leon didn’t reply this time, however, and led the way through the halls toward an open area within the castle proper that was reserved for the King to train in. He paused at the entrance, gathering two training swords and looking to the two guards.

“Wait out here while I advise Sir Raihan on his desire to be more active during his recovery,” he said smoothly.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards said in unison, then exchanged a glance as soon as Leon turned away.

Raihan followed Leon into the training area and glanced over as the door closed behind them. 

“Did you intend for that phrasing to come out ominously?” Raihan asked.

Leon tossed one of the training swords at him as he strode out onto the training arena a few paces ahead of Raihan.

“Did you intend on first sparring me with an injured knee?” Leon asked him calmly.

“I can’t say that I did, no,” Raihan said, but relaxed with the wooden training sword in his hand.

“Then perhaps you should not have come to me looking so much like a kicked puppy,” Leon said, aimlessly twirling the training sword in one hand.

Raihan watched the ease at which Leon handled the sword, and he grinned. 

“I’ll admit, I’ve wanted to spar with you ever since I saw you in action,” he said. “You’ve come a long way from the kid who could only land one out of ten hits.”

“Ah,” Leon said dryly, though that warmth still hadn’t left his golden eyes, “such a flattering compliment.”

“Your Champion has complimented you on your marked improvement,” Raihan said. He flicked his sword up and settled into a defensive stance, which would allow him easier footwork and less strain on his knee. “You _should_ be flattered.”

“Would you find it flattering to be compared to your much younger self?” Leon asked, also falling into a ready stance.

“Depends on the comparison.” Raihan said.

“Shall I compare the man before me to the boy who never failed to accent his strikes with sound effects?” Leon said, taking a step toward Raihan.

Raihan groaned good-naturedly, but his stance and sword didn’t move an inch.

“Alright, I admit it,” he said. “That was a sharp blow.”

“At least the blows that will follow from my sword will be far lighter, hm?” Leon said, and moved to strike him with the wooden practice sword. His movements were quick, but mindful of Raihan’s limited movement.

Raihan took an easy half-step back with his good leg and parried the blow, the wooden swords clashing with a sharp clack. Raihan locked eyes with Leon and was met with a sharp, focused gaze, though that warmth still lingered there.

“I suppose we’ll have to see about that,” Raihan said.

“I suppose we will,” Leon repeated, retreating a step, but immediately pressed with another attack.

As before in the warehouse, his movements were precise, calculated. No move was made without cause, and it was clear he was markedly holding back on account of Raihan’s current condition. Even with his injury, Raihan’s own parries were quick and practiced. He countered with a sharp thrust, but pulled the blow, not wanting to actually strike his King.

Leon snapped an even faster strike at him, aiming for Raihan’s shoulder. Raihan pivoted, pulling his shoulder backward, and deflected the blow.

“Holding back, even while injured?” Leon asked.

“Should I go all out for this little match?” Raihan asked. “Especially considering that I’m not the only one holding back.”

“I think if you went all out, Kabu would not forgive you for many, many seasons,” Leon said, regaining his stance.

Raihan laughed and fell back into another defensive position. 

“I believe you may be correct about that. Perhaps we can just consider this match a warm up.”

“For what, I wonder?” Leon mused, then moved in to strike him again, aiming for his chest this time.

For what, indeed? Further sparring? Training together? Or perhaps something altogether more close and intimate?

The intrusive thought was distracting enough that Raihan was a split-second too late on the parry. Leon’s sword struck him in the chest, though the blow was hardly more than a tap.

“Ah!” Raihan exclaimed in surprise.

“Sloppy,” Leon remarked. He trailed the tip of the practice blade down the front of Raihan’s chest as he stepped backward one pace. “You seem rather distracted for a man so desperate for a distraction.”

Raihan’s heart raced, the teasing touch of the wooden blade still pressed against his front. 

“I’m injured,” he finally said, though he knew it was a weak excuse.

One of Leon’s eyebrows arched again, and he nudged Raihan’s ribs gently with the wooden sword.

“Ah, is that what is occupying your mind? Your sore ribs?”

“Perhaps,” Raihan said. “Did you come to tease me, or to spar?”

He paused as the realization struck him. Leon _was_ teasing him. They’d actually been _bantering_ for the past few minutes. Leon. His Ice King. Teasing. Raihan’s heart warmed and a smile split his face.

“Are you implying that I can’t do both at once,” Leon said, the corner of his lips twitching up further than ever before. “I am not the one who has been idling with a sword at his chest.” 

Leon poked him a bit more insistently on one pectoral, then took a step back, twirling the weapon in his hand again.

Raihan grinned and settled back into his stance. 

“Then I suppose I’d best pay better attention.”

“That is probably a good idea,” Leon said, falling back into his own stance, “unless you find it more entertaining to be defeated with incredible ease.”

“We’ll see which one of us is defeated,” Raihan grinned. “What do I get if I win?”

Leon tilted his head back slightly, taking in Raihan’s cockiness with a marginally amused expression.

“You wish to raise the stakes of this little match? Beyond your inevitable humiliation, of course.”

“I suppose that depends on if the victor’s prize is worth it,” Raihan smirked.

“Very well,” Leon responded, relaxing his ready stance as he considered. “What do you propose to be your prize?” The corner of his lips twitched again. “As King, I’m sure I could provide.”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s nothing you wouldn’t provide me should I ask for it,” Raihan said, flipping his practice blade around in one hand. “But on second thought, I think I’d prefer to be surprised.”

“Surprised? Leon raised his eyebrows, resting one hand on his hip. “All right. If you win, I will… surprise you. And if _I_ win…”

Leon trailed off slightly, twirling the wooden blade in his hand, ending with it pointing at Raihan.

“You are to seek your physical entertainment only from me until you are fully healed.”

“Physical entertainment?” Raihan asked, and a flush of heat pulsed through him. “What exactly does that entail?”

“Perhaps more farce sparring matches, such as this one,” Leon replied dryly, “perhaps it will instead be further coddling when your tense muscles need a royal bath… perhaps it will be my further inquiries to the medics regarding what sorts of physical activity you are allowed to do so that you aren’t bored enough to come crying to your King for attention.”

“Ah,” Raihan said dryly. “Well, I can’t have you spending all your time fussing over your Champion, so I suppose I have to win, don’t I?”

“Indeed,” Leon replied, slipping back into his ready stance. “I suppose you do.”

Leon’s lips twitched again, and he stepped forward to engage Raihan in their downplayed duel. Leon made a point to only move about as much as Raihan could, but still landed several more strikes on Raihan. Each new blow earned Raihan another teasing remark, and it was quite clear that Leon was enjoying the taunt.

Raihan took it all in good stride, very well aware that he wasn’t performing at his best. He stayed mindful of his injuries, keeping the match to simple bouts. They would come together in a quick exchange of blows, then separate to regain their stances and keep Raihan’s footwork to a minimum. With the slow, repetitive rhythm of the match, Raihan couldn't stop his mouth from making up for the leisurely pace.

“Have you thought of what my prize is going to be?” Raihan asked as they separated after he flawlessly blocked Leon’s most recent attack.

“I have one idea, yes,” Leon replied, shifting the grip he had on his practice sword, “I would say it, but you wish to be surprised… so I shall hold my tongue.”

“Perhaps just a hint, then?” Raihan grinned. “So I have something to look forward to?”

“Hm,” Leon mused, his gaze trailing away from Raihan as he thought. “Very well. It is something I haven’t shared with you in many years.”

“Something we’ve shared? This wouldn’t have something to do with physical entertainment, would it?” Raihan asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It is something physical that we would be doing, yes,” Leon said, the corner of his lips twitching.

“That could mean a great deal of things. Another hint?” Raihan asked.

“It would be something far less brutish than this,” Leon returned, tossing his hair over his shoulder, “and be something far more intimate.”

Raihan’s throat went abruptly dry and the tip of his sword dropped an inch. 

“...Intimate?” 

Leon raised his sword and started toward Raihan.

“Must I repeat myself?”

Raihan only had a chance to stammer out a non-reply before Leon came at him with a diagonal slash. Raihan scrambled and only just managed to parry with an upward block that knocked Leon’s practice sword way out to one side and left the king wide open. Instinctively, Raihan lunged forward to take advantage of the opening. He landed a hit on Leon’s chest just in time for him to put his full weight on his bad leg. His knee buckled, and he fell forward— 

—right into Leon’s waiting arms. 

“Shall we call this my victory, then?” came his rich baritone voice near Raihan’s ear.

Raihan’s breath caught in his throat, and he looked into Leon’s eyes. Despite the frustrations he'd been experiencing since his attack, the developing warmth in Leon's once cold eyes had been a beacon of hope. As Leon’s complex gaze had grown more welcoming, it was becoming more and more easy to get lost in. He effortlessly held Raihan in his strong arms, and he hadn’t even broken a sweat from their sparring session.

“Y-yes,” Raihan said softly, “we probably should.”

“Did you injure your knee further?” Leon asked, still holding onto him.

“I don’t think so,” Raihan said without actually knowing, only sure that he didn’t want to leave Leon’s embrace.

“That’s good,” Leon said, holding him a bit tighter. “I wanted to teach you a lesson, not prolong your recovery.”

Raihan laughed softly. He slowly relaxed and sank into Leon’s arms. 

“Thank you, Lee.”

Leon drew in a sharp breath, his hands gripping Raihan’s tunic intently.

“...R-Raihan, I—”

He made a small noise of pain, and his grip on Raihan lessened. 

“Leon?” Raihan asked, and looked up in alarm. Blood was beginning to slip steadily from his nose, and he took a shaky breath through his mouth.

“Leon!” 

Raihan pulled away and rushed to the side of the room to a small stack of towels. He seized a few and hurried back to Leon.

“Curse this dry winter air… here, tilt your head back,” Raihan instructed. “Close your eyes. Let me help.”

“N-no, I…” Leon whimpered, wincing again as blood came more steadily from his nose. “H-hell…” He tilted his head back, one hand reaching out to steady himself with Raihan.

Raihan caught his hand and held it tight, and tended to his king with the other, gently cleaning him up.

“Dammit,” Leon cursed, gripping Raihan’s hand with his own shaking one. Gradually, the bleeding stopped.

“There,” Raihan said, tenderly cleaning up the last of the blood and disposing of the towels. “How do you feel?”

“...fine,” Leon said quietly, holding Raihan’s hand more firmly. He let out a frustrated sigh and gave Raihan a frown that was almost a pout.

“Are you yet well enough to return to taking your evenings with me?” he asked.

Raihan gave him a warm smile.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“Good,” Leon said, finally letting him go. “I have a few more things to attend to that aren’t your boredom… will you await my signal?”

“Of course, Leon.”

Leon nodded to him and turned to leave, picking up both the wooden practice swords and replacing them in their spots on the way out. Raihan followed behind him.

“Have a pleasant Midwinter’s Eve, Your Majesty,” he said with a bow.

“And you, Sir Raihan,” Leon returned, giving him a nod. He started making his way down the hall, motioning for the two guards that had dutifully remained outside to accompany him. The guards exchanged a knowing look, then followed Leon down the hall while pointedly not looking at Raihan. Raihan watched their retreating backs for a moment and wondered just how much his fellow guards had pieced together, then returned to his own room for a light dinner and to await Leon’s signal. 

Several hours later, he’d finished the comforting ritual of brushing and braiding Leon’s hair, while discussing the Midwinter activities planned for tomorrow. As the night wore on, Leon finally returned to his bed, and Raihan followed him.

“Oh, I’ve missed this mattress,” Raihan sighed, sinking into the soft covers.

One corner of Leon’s mouth quirked upwards, and he sat down on the other side of the large bed.

“It is the best in the whole kingdom, or so I’m told.”

“I believe it,” Raihan said. 

Leon turned down the bedsheets, slipping into them and stretching. 

“I’m looking forward to the festivities tomorrow,” he said, his golden gaze very slowly starting to look more like warm coals instead of the cold, dull yellow they’d been. “I enjoy watching everyone playing in the snow.”

“Do you remember our snow fort?” Raihan asked, the memory striking him out of the blue. “Snow Fort the First?”

“Ah yes,” Leon said, an amount of fondness in his voice. “The First of the Forts was most definitely the best fort.”

“Absolutely. None of the others could compare. I miss the luxury of playing in the snow,” Raihan said softly. He met Leon’s eyes. “...I miss a lot of things.”

Leon held his gaze, one of his hands gripping the bedsheets.

“...so do I.”

Raihan held his eyes for a long moment before he continued.

“I miss not having the eyes of all of Galar on us. I miss the freedom of just _being_ with you. Not as your Champion… just as your friend,” Raihan’s voice softened. “I miss the illusion that we could always have what we want.”

A spike of pain shot through Leon’s expression, and his gaze trailed away from Raihan’s. His next words came at a whisper.

“...I miss that, too.”

A heavy silence hung over them for a long moment before Raihan sought Leon’s bond hand under the covers and took it in his own.

“I know we cannot have what we want,” Raihan said quietly. “And I will not ask you to choose between your duty to Galar and… anything else. The privilege of standing at your side once more is enough.” 

Leon gripped Raihan’s hand tight, then tighter, too tight. He took a shaky breath.

“Raihan… you are… I…” His words were fumbled, as though he were trying to force them out.

“...Leon?” Raihan asked. Leon’s grip was bordering on painful, but Raihan didn’t pull away. 

“E-even if we shouldn’t, I d-don—”

Instead of the rest of his sentence, a sharp cry of pain escaped him, which he quickly muffled. Blood once again trickled out of his nose, and he grabbed his head with his free hand.

“No! No, I—” He forced out, still struggling, his whole body beginning to shake.

“Leon?!” Raihan sat up stiffly. He tried to pull his hand away, but Leon held onto him with an iron grip.

“R-Rai, ple— _please_ ,” he begged, his lips trying to form words that he somehow could not get out. “I w… I _want_ —!”

Another cry of pain forced its way into his speech, and blood poured more freely from his nose, his whole body shaking violently. Raihan’s heart leapt into his throat, jumping at the frankly alarming amount of blood covering Leon’s front. 

“Leon, no! Stop! Just stop! You’re hurting yourself!” 

Leon gasped harshly, breathing hard as he still held Raihan’s hand hostage, but he finally stopped trying to speak. As he took deep breaths, he squeezed his eyes shut, his face contorted in pain and frustration. He let out a whispered curse, and gradually the blood slowed to a trickle.

“Will you let me clean you up?” Raihan asked, and gave his hand a squeeze.

After a loud swallow, Leon nodded.

Raihan gently extracted himself from Leon’s grip and, for the second time that day, retrieved clean rags to clean his King.

“I don’t know why this is happening to you,” Raihan said softly, “or why these nosebleeds trigger, but know that I will always be by your side.”

“Thank you,” Leon managed softly, gripping the bedsheets again, still squeezing his eyes shut and taking deep breaths. Blood had gotten on his shirt, though hadn’t made it to the bed.

“Do you want me to get you a new shirt?” Raihan asked softly and started to pull away.

“That’s all right,” Leon said meekly, “I’ll just sleep without one tonight.” He looked and sounded exhausted.

Raihan helped him slide out of his soiled shirt and tossed it away elsewhere in the room, with the silent promise that he’d deal with it in the morning. 

“There,” Raihan said. “All better.”

“Thank you,” Leon repeated softly.

“Sleep well, Leon.” 

“You too, Raihan.”

Leon took another deep breath, finally settling down into the bed. Raihan sighed, then a shiver passed over him. The fireplace wasn’t quite enough to fight off the full strength of the winter chill. A glance at the window showed that it had also started to snow, snowflakes reflecting in the firelight. Raihan lay down and bundled up under the covers.

A quiet had begun to settle on the castle, as the snow settled outside.

Leon’s soft voice pierced the silence.

“...Raihan?”

“Yes?” he replied, opening his eyes.

A beat passed before Leon responded.

“Hold me.”

Raihan’s heart fluttered in his chest, then he tenderly gathered his King in his arms and held him close.

“As you wish,” Raihan murmured in his ear.

Some tension left Leon’s shoulders, and he let out a sigh. He nuzzled his face into Raihan’s chest and wrapped his arms around him. Leon was an excellent source of heat in the cold, winter night. Raihan smiled and rested his head atop Leon’s, then fell asleep in his embrace.

There were no nightmares that night.


	17. The Long Cold - Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has [more wonderful fanart,](https://mokutenshi.tumblr.com/post/631951239713882113/binged-an-amazing-kbdn-fic-so-i-decided-to-draw) this time by the talented mokutenshi!

Raihan awoke a little before dawn, later than when he usually awoke. The snow hadn’t let up all night, with fat, fluffy flakes still visible through the window and snow piled high against the glass. Leon slept peacefully in his arms, curled against Raihan’s chest, his handsome face the most relaxed it had ever been. Leon’s braid had come loose in the night, and was only still braided in the roughest sense of the word. Raihan brushed a wave of purple hair from Leon’s face.

Leon let out a soft sigh, shifting as Raihan’s fingers brushed his skin. His brow furrowed just slightly, and he buried his face against Raihan’s chest. Strong arms wrapped gently around Raihan as Leon snuggled in closer to him.

Raihan smiled. This was his favorite time of the morning, when Leon lay in his arms long after the nightmares were over and before the day had begun. He brushed another lock of hair out of his face, then trailed his hand through the long, luxurious strands, fingers gliding down to stroke his back.

“Mm,” Leon toned into Raihan’s chest, holding him tighter.

Raihan’s fingers stroked Leon's broad back, up to his shoulders, then gently caressed his cheek.

“Good morning,” Raihan said softly.

“...morning,” Leon said sleepily, yawning a bit before he decidedly pressed his face back into Raihan’s chest.

Raihan smiled and rested his chin atop Leon’s head and wrapped his arms around him once more.

“It’s still snowing.”

“Is it?” Leon made a half-hearted attempt to lift his head and peer past Raihan at the window, but soon gave up. “Mm, it will be beautiful for the Midwinter celebration…”

One of his hands sleepily sought Raihan’s, entwining their fingers as he held onto his bond hand. Raihan gave his hand a gentle squeeze and relaxed against him.

“Mm… you’re right.”

Leon squeezed his hand in return.

“...Raihan…”

“Leon… No nightmares last night,” Raihan observed.

A small gasp left Leon, and he looked up at Raihan.

“...you’re right. ...that’s the first time I can remember not having nightmares in… in years.”

Raihan smiled down at him.

“I suppose I’m actually helping, then. A good thing this bed is meant for two.”

Surprise found Leon’s face, and he looked away quickly. The faintest hint of a blush found his cheeks.

“...a good thing indeed,” he said quietly.

Raihan let out a long sigh and relaxed. The fire in the fireplace had burned low during the night, but the bed was soft and Leon was warm in his arms.

“...Leon...I could stay like this forever.”

Leon pressed his face into Raihan’s shoulder, his quiet voice slightly muffled by it.

“...if only we could. As lovely as the celebration is…”

“Perhaps we can stay here a little while longer, even for just the morning…” Raihan said softly and absently stroked Leon’s back. “No one would begrudge if the King slept in on Midwinter.” 

“Hm…” Leon mused, his tense back relaxing a fraction with Raihan’s gentle strokes, “I have a feeling that if we waited _too_ long, Kabu would most certainly be sure we felt properly ashamed for it.”

“Then we’ll only stay for a little while. Besides, it’s going to be cold outside.”

“It’s true,” Leon said, sounding a bit distracted. “...Raihan… I’ve been thinking…”

“Hm?” Raihan asked sleepily.

“You _did_ land the final hit in our sparring session yesterday,” Leon said quietly, “even if your injury did end things in my favor.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Raihan said, a smile pulling at his lips. “Should we call it a draw?”

“Perhaps,” Leon said, his own lips twitching into a small smile, “though I was likely to get the prize I demanded for winning regardless of our contest… so…” He swallowed, shifting in Raihan’s hold. “...perhaps it’s only fair that you get _your_ prize, too…” 

Raihan blinked sleepily down at him for a moment before his meaning and their banter last night took hold. His eyes widened, the last of his drowsiness fading away.

“You mean…?” 

Leon met his eyes, nodding slowly. His golden eyes were warmer than ever before since Raihan had returned. His cheeks were lightly brushed with a blush, and his eyes drifted shut as he moved up as if to give Raihan a kiss.

Raihan’s heart skipped a beat. He’d spent the last nine months choosing his duty over his heart. If he did this, if this happened, it could never be undone. There was no going back. Everything would be different.

To hell with it.

Raihan’s heart soared, and he chose his heart over his duty at last. He closed his eyes and leaned in to accept Leon’s kiss.

Warm, full lips just barely brushed his own before immediately pulling away with a surprised gasp, Leon’s breath hot against Raihan’s lips. The bed shifted, leaving empty space where Leon had been, and Leon cried out sharply in pain. Raihan’s eyes snapped open and he bolted upright.

Leon was suspended in the air, held a good foot off the ground by his hair. A young man dressed all in pink petals, leaves, and gossamer wings floated a good six feet off the ground, holding Leon aloft. The fairy tossed some of his pale bangs away from his purple eyes, his expression one of boredom.

“I hate to break up such a touching scene, but I need him,” he said.

Raihan was on his feet in an instant and drew the sword he kept at their bedside.

“Release him!” he roared and lunged toward the fairy.

Despite the fairy’s thin frame, he easily swung Leon around to be in front of him, shielding himself with Leon’s bulkier frame. Raihan hastily pulled the blow, swinging wide to avoid striking Leon.

“Ah ah ah,” he scolded, “none of that, now.”

Leon writhed in his grasp, letting out a noise of frustration as he tried to grab the fairy.

“We have no quarrel with you, Fairy!” Leon said firmly.

The fairy groaned, rolling his eyes.

“You’re both so _difficult,_ ” he grumbled, and reached down to tap Leon on the nose. “ _Sleep._ ”

Immediately, Leon’s head lolled, his eyes drooping.

“N-no… Raih… ah…”

“ _Leon!_ ”

Thinking quickly, Raihan lunged forward again, feinting and baiting the fairy into using Leon as a shield once more. The fairy fell for the bait, swinging Leon in front of him again.

“You’re such a _bother,_ ” he complained.

Raihan snapped his free hand out and seized Leon by the hair. He flipped the grip on his sword and swung in a horizontal slash. 

With a tremendous tug, the fairy yanked Leon away from him, ripping out a handful of Leon’s hair in Raihan’s hand. Leon made a faint noise of pain before sleep fully claimed him.

“Nope,” the fairy said, floating back toward the window, Leon’s limp form dangling from his grip. “If you want him back, you know where to come find him.”

Both Leon and the fairy began to glow with a pink light.

“ _Why!?_ ” Raihan cried, desperation in his voice. He made one final lunge toward them.

“Blood,” came the fairy’s simple response before both he and Leon became forms of pink light, passing right through his fingers. The pink lights shot out the window, heading right for the fairy forest.

“ _NO!!!_ ”

The door slammed open and the night guards burst into the room.

“Champion Raihan! We heard the commotion, but the door was— What happened?!”

“The Fairies have stolen King Leon,” Raihan snarled. “Wake Kabu!”

He still held a lock of Leon’s hair in his shaking fist. Without another word, he stormed past the guards and raced back to his room to dress for war. Raihan was nearly finished donning his plate mail when Kabu made it to his room, panting and eyes wide.

“Raihan?!”

Raihan strapped his sword to his belt and donned his helm.

“A fairy has taken the King to the forest.”

Kabu leaned heavily on the doorframe, utter devastation on his face.

“Th-they took Leon?! B-but why?!”

“Blood. That’s all the fairy said. He stole Leon right from his bed. …And from my arms.” Raihan threw a cloak over his shoulders. After a moment of consideration, he tied the lock of purple hair around his wrist, keeping it close. “I’m going to get him back. Hold the fort here, Kabu. Keep the castle from panicking. And if I don’t return…” 

“Dammit!” Kabu strode quickly over to him and gripped Raihan’s arm tightly. “You _will_ return. You will return _with_ the King, or I’ll— or I—!”

Despite his harsh words, the fear and regret was clear in Kabu’s eyes.

Raihan clapped him on the shoulder, then pulled him into a one-armed hug.

“I’ll see you soon, Kabu.”

Kabu startled slightly, then returned the hug, his grip and voice tight.

“...Raihan. Bring him back. _Please,_ ” He took a soft, shaky breath. “The fairies have always been at minor odds with the royal family… you know them better than most… please do anything it takes to appeal to them.”

“I won’t fail you,” Raihan said, and pulled away.

Raihan knew he’d left Kabu with the inevitable duty of informing the kingdom that their King would not be joining the Midwinter celebrations and, even worse, telling Prince Hop that his brother was gone. Raihan let the pang of regret stab through his chest, then pushed it out of his mind. He had his own duty to attend to.

He rode out of the city, his horse tearing through the ice and snow toward the Fairy Forest. In the hours it took to reach the forest, Raihan’s mind churned over why the fairies would steal the King of Galar exactly at dawn on Midwinter, and each possibility was worse than the last. He pricked his finger several times during the ride, but never received a response.

The horse bucked and reared as they finally reached the forest, the beast refusing to go further. Though they were surrounded by trees, it was clear where the Fairy Forest began. The young birch and aspen trees around him stopped and, like a straight line through the forest, abruptly gave way to towering, ancient oaks.

Raihan dismounted and marched for the forest. His boots crunched in the snow, and he stopped as he stepped on something different, right before he reached the line of oak trees. He looked down and moved his foot aside to find a leather bracer, Leon’s armband, the one that held his hidden needles. 

Raihan stared at it. Why would the fairies have removed it? To stop him from returning Raihan’s messages? But how did they even know what the bracer was for? Unless they thought the needles were otherwise a threat to—

Steel. The needles were made of steel. Only steel and iron could break a fairy’s magic. For the first time in years, Raihan remembered the promise he’d made in a meadow not far from here, a price he’d agreed to in exchange for learning about their bonded communication. He swore to never take steel nor iron into the Fairy Forest.

Raihan cursed out loud and kicked at the snow. Damn it all! Had this been Opal’s plan from the beginning? Had she planned, even back then, to abduct Leon, and sought to ensure his Champion could not follow? If so, she’d greatly underestimated Raihan.

Raihan stripped out of his armor, cursing the long and twisted plans of the fairies all the while. A Fairy Promise was ancient magic, and breaking it was not a risk he was willing to take with Leon’s life on the line. He left his armor and weapons piled in the snow, and stood only in his socks, trousers, and tunic. Thankfully, the clasp on his cloak was silver, not steel, so he replaced the cloak about his shoulders. He gently touched the lock of purple hair tied around his wrist. With a deep breath, he entered the Fairy Forest.

The snow stopped falling the moment he passed the line of ancient oaks. Raihan looked behind him, and instead of the birch and aspen and his horse, there was only gnarled, twisted old growth as far as the eye could see. Raihan set his jaw and kept walking. He didn’t dare damage the living trees, but found a fallen branch that made a satisfactory club, and kept it in hand as he continued on.

The deeper he went into the forest, the brighter it grew, sunlight filtering through the branches and… leaves? Yes, leaves. It was as if winter was fading the deeper he went, replaced by the full, green splendor of summer. There wasn’t much of a path to follow, not that Raihan would have trusted it to lead him where he needed to go anyway, and he soon trekked through thick green undergrowth. 

Even without the knowledge that it was Midwinter outside the lush greenery around him, Raihan would have never mistaken this as a normal forest. Occasionally, birds chirped and flitted through the trees around him, or a deer startled into fleeing, but more often than not, the forest was dead silent. The trees and shrubs seemed to cling to his cloak and clothing, as if consciously grabbing him in an attempt to slow him down. 

Frustrated from the fifth time he’d yanked his cloak away from an entangling branch, he struck at the offending branch with his makeshift club and immediately regretted it. Instead of silence, the forest groaned around him like creaking wood. The wind wailed in the leaves and, in the distance, he heard a scream.

Raihan grit his teeth and continued on, howling trees be damned. His bad knee ached with every step, but nothing would stop him from finding his King.

The sound of a child’s laughter echoed through the old trees, coming closer to him. As it neared him, the noise became laughter and crying in equal measure, until a pink light came into view through the brush. From the pink light appeared the fairy who’d stolen Leon, wearing an uninterested expression as he floated in front of Raihan.

“ _You!!!_ ” Raihan swung his club at the fairy’s head.

The fairy rolled his eyes, slipping just out of the way of the blow.

“Temper, temper…”

“Who are you?” Raihan demanded. “What do you want with Leon?”

“You can call me Bede,” the fairy replied. “And we don’t _want_ him. But we do need him.”

“Well, you can’t have him! Return him to me at once!” Raihan growled and tightened his grip on the club.

“Oh!” Bede feigned surprise, putting one hand on his cheek, “oh I’m _so_ sorry, I’ll give him back now!” He rolled his eyes, leaning back in the air. “Yeah, right.”

Raihan roared with frustration and swung at him with the club again.

Bede slipped out of the way again, moving like wind past his strikes. A small smirk was on his lips, and his tone continued to be mocking.

“Did you really think you’d just bust in here and take him?” He clasped his hands, holding them beneath his chin, wearing a mock dreamy expression. “The poor kid from nowhere dreaming of swooping in to save his King?”

“I’ll burn this whole forest down if I have to!” Fury burned in Raihan’s eyes, and he scooped a rock off the ground and hurled it at Bede’s head.

The rock passed right through Bede’s face, landing far off behind him. He sighed and rolled his eyes again, reclining in the air and folding his arms.

“Look, we both know you can’t do that. I’m just here as your tour guide, and _I_ don’t want to be here, either. So can we move this along?”

“Tour guide?” Raihan asked with a growl. “What are you talking about?”

Bede let out an exasperated sigh.

“You aren’t asking the right questions, Knight. C’mon, focus. Why are you here again?”

“I’m here to rescue King Leon,” Raihan said. Right questions? What was Bede talking about? “Where are you keeping him?”

“Better,” Bede said, and shifted in the air, leaning more towards him. “But you already know that. He’s here in the wood. But the where matters less than the how.”

Damn fairies. Raihan grit his teeth.

“What must I do to save him?”

“ _Thank you,_ ” Bede said with exasperation, “yeah, you’re gonna have to pass three trials in order to save him. There’s a time limit, so you probably want to be quick about it.”

“Of course there is,” Raihan said icily. How typical. _Damn_ fairies. “Let’s get on with it, then! What is the first trial?”

“Your first trial is easy,” Bede replied, spreading his hands. “Create a feast fit for a King.”

“A feast fit for a King?” Raihan echoed and stared at Bede. He looked around, but there was only forest all around him, certainly nothing he could cook with.

For the first time, Bede was silent, watching him impassively.

“Are you going to actively hinder me, or just be no help at all?” Raihan asked acidicly. 

“Depends on how bored I get waiting for you to figure things out,” Bede replied.

“Tch,” Raihan turned away from him and kept walking through the forest. 

He should have expected something like this. It was very in line with fairy magic to require a test or a trial in exchange for a goal, and there would be no use fighting it. Better to just get it over with as soon as possible so he could get Leon back. 

A feast fit for a king… Leon was his king. What was Leon’s favorite food? Berry tarts fresh from the oven, definitely, but how was he supposed to make that in a forest? Perhaps just the berries? But a single tart wasn’t a feast. Raihan strode through the forest, looking at the plants around him for ideas.

Maybe it was some kind of word play. A feast fit for a king… a feast _fit_ for a king? Maybe a feast his king deserves, not what would be normally served at a feast in the castle?

Raihan scowled. Clearly, Leon deserved the finest foods available, so that line of thinking was no help. Perhaps the fairies thought Leon deserved less? That could be tied to why they abducted him. What feast did the fairies think Leon deserved?

As he walked, he came across a pond and stared out over the water. 

Was there a double meaning anywhere in that? Perhaps “feast” was the tricky word. What constitutes a feast? Extravagance? Rarity? Quantity? 

He saw a flash of orange under the water as a carp snatched a bug off the surface of the water. Raihan’s breath caught in his throat. That was it!

He turned away from the water and pulled upon foraging skills he hadn’t used in years, placing his findings on a flat rock near the edge of the pond. He crouched beside a wild blackberry bush and hastily picked a few berries. A thorn caught his finger and Raihan cursed. Blood beaded on his fingertip, then vanished.

As the small wound vanished, a faded image appeared before him. It was Leon, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a glowing circle of runes that pulsed in time with his heartbeat. His head hung slack to one side, and his eyes were closed. Harsh-looking shackles were about his wrists and ankles, chaining him within the circle.

The vision faded about as quickly as it had appeared, at about the same rhythm that a prick from Raihan would last on Leon’s bond hand.

Raihan gasped and stumbled to his feet, clutching his head.

“W— what was that?”

“That’s the time limit,” Bede responded, suddenly right next to him. “He’s sleeping, for now. But whether or not he wakes up is up to you.”

Raihan spun around and tried to seize Bede by the front, only for the fairy to drift back a pace, leaving Raihan holding only handfuls of pink rose petals.

“Damn you! You sick, twisted bastard!” Raihan snarled, throwing the petals on the ground.

Bede sighed, once again rolling his eyes.

“Still not asking questions, I see. Just bitching and moaning.”

Raihan snapped his mouth shut and ground his teeth. 

“What have you done to him?”

“Taken and imprisoned him,” Bede said casually, “and gave you a time limit, all in one go. Quite exhausting, really. Just like he’ll be the longer he stays in that circle. Up until there’s nothing left of him.”

“What _is_ the circle?”

“Does it matter?” Bede asked. “Whatever it is, it’ll kill him all the same if you take too long.”

Raihan growled and clenched his shaking fists.

“ _There,_ ” he snarled, gesturing. “There’s your feast!”

Piled on the flat rock by the pond were berries, fat beetles, worms, and handfuls of pond plants.

“A feast fit for a King Carp.”

“Ding ding!” Bede simulated enthusiasm with a vague wave of his hand. “Good job, you figured it out. Great, let’s move on to the next trial.”

“Fine. What’s your next riddle?”

“C’mon,” Bede said, drifting further into the forest. “This one’ll probably be a bit more up your alley.”

He led Raihan through the trees, sometimes around them, sometimes moving right through them in bursts of pink light and petals. The trees soon gave way to a completely different terrain, a harsh rocky landscape right in the middle of the forest, accumulating in a narrow, twisting canyon, just wide enough for a single person to walk through.

“This one’s easy, too,” Bede said, floating up over the canyon, “all you have to do is get to the other side!”

Raihan scowled and examined the canyon. It couldn’t just be that straightforward. Perhaps he needed to go up and over? The steep, red-rock walls didn’t provide any handholds to climb.

He thought of Leon, bound and helpless in the circle. Damn it all, he didn’t have time to figure out these fairy games! Raihan took a deep breath, then charged into the canyon, his club in one hand. The canyon twisted and wound through the rock, though it thankfully did not fork or branch out with different paths. At times it was so narrow that Raihan needed to hold his breath and suck in his gut to squeeze through. The longer he walked, the hotter it became, until he had rolled up the sleeves of his winter tunic and tied his cloak around his waist to get it off his shoulders. Finally, the canyon opened up from a narrow crevice to a passageway at least ten feet wide, with nothing but a massive black boulder in his way. Ahead, he could see the end of the canyon and the forest beyond. Raihan’s heart leapt with relief, and he stepped out into the open area.

Between one step and the next, the rock beneath him turned from cool to scorching hot, burning the sole of his foot even through his thick wool sock. Raihan yelped and jumped back to the cooler rock, dropping his club in surprise.

The old, dry wood branch fell to the hot stone and began to smoke, then burst into flames.

Was this his trial? He needed to cross oven-hot stone? Raihan judged how far away the exit was and nodded to himself. He could do this. He’d burn his feet for sure, but between his long gait and his speed, he could… 

A black boulder in the middle of the canyon began to move with the sound of grinding stone. Four pebbled legs and a great, sleepy-eyed head emerged from the boulder, and rotated to reveal the shape of a giant tortoise, with a shell made of black rock and fire-orange scales. It groaned and a vent opened on the top of the shell, letting out a hiss of steam.

Ah.

The tortoise turned to face him. It gave Raihan a baleful stare, then roared, black smoke pouring from its mouth. Raihan covered his face and coughed as the smoke washed over him, filling his nose and stinging his eyes. 

Dammit! That tortoise was almost as wide as the canyon itself. Raihan wouldn’t be able to slip past it without climbing right over it, or squeezing between its giant shell and the canyon wall. The tortoise roared again and threw its weight back and forth, slamming its shell repeatedly against the canyon wall hard enough to shatter chunks of stone off the walls. Raihan imagined being between that shell and the wall and his gut clenched. 

He _had_ to get to the other side. He had to hurry or Leon would… 

Raihan bit his lip. He touched the hot stone with a finger on his bond hand, and a burn seared through him, then vanished. He was granted another vision, just as short as the first one.

Leon was slumped further forward than he had been before, looking more pale and fatigued, even in sleep. The light of the circle was pulsing more weakly, though still steadily for the moment. An identical burn appeared on Leon’s right hand, and the image before Raihan faded with the wound.

Raihan grit his teeth. He _would_ get to the other side. 

He took a deep breath. How many monsters had he tamed? This was no different. The giant fire stone tortoise was just like any other monster. He needed to figure out what it wanted and how to calm it down. 

He watched the creature closely. It was obviously agitated, but despite its initial surprise, it didn’t seem to be terribly concerned about Raihan’s presence. It smashed its shell side to side, then rotated in a circle and did it again, roaring intermittently. Every now and then, it would try to settle and lay down, but then immediately get up again and smash its shell against the walls once more.

It seemed...uncomfortable? Why? Raihan watched it closely, examining the thick orange skin, the wide feet, the stone shell. The creature groaned and turned around once more, and that’s when Raihan saw it. A section about a foot wide of black stone had broken free of the large shell and lay at the creature’s feet. With a damaged shell, the tortoise must have been in pain, and trying without success to relieve it. If he could calm the creature and replace the broken stone, perhaps it would relax enough to let him pass. 

“Easy,” Raihan said gently. “Easy… I just want to help.”

The creature gave him a baleful look, but nothing more. Good. That meant it wasn’t overtly aggressive. What would a giant stone tortoise find non-threatening? Moving slowly, speaking deep and slow, with low, comforting tones. No fast, unexpected movements.

Raihan took a deep breath, then slowly took a step forward. The heat shot through his sock, burning the sole of his foot. Pain seared up his legs and he bit back another cry of pain. No choice. He had to move slow to get close enough to the tortoise. He took another step, then another, then another. He tried keeping his weight on the balls of his feet to minimize the damage, but the pain was too much and he was forced to fall back to the flats of his feet to keep his balance. The bottoms of his socks had burned away by the time he reached the black stone laying on the ground beside the massive tortoise.

“Easy…” Raihan soothed, even as tears streamed down his face. He pulled the cloak off his waist and wrapped it around his hands before he bent down and picked up the black chunk of stone. The cloak began to smoke and hiss, but the insulating fabric kept his hands protected for almost a full thirty seconds before the heat burned into his hands. More visions of Leon danced in front of his eyes as his skin burned. With shaking arms, Raihan lifted the stone and slotted it back into place on the creature’s back. The tortoise let out one more groan, then turned one more circle, then settled back on the ground and pulled its legs and head into its shell. In a moment, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary boulder. 

Raihan sobbed with relief and lunged forward. He tried to sprint, but every step was agony, fire searing through him. He slid past the tortoise without incident and struggled toward the end of the canyon. Three paces from the exit, he stubbed his toes on the ground and his bad knee gave out. He fell to his hands and knees and _screamed._

The scream awoke the tortoise behind him, and the ground shook as it emerged from its shell in alarm. Raihan’s heart raced, and he used the adrenaline surge to push himself back to his feet and race to the end of the passage.

The moment his feet hit dirt instead of rock, the heat around him vanished. Raihan collapsed on the forest floor and curled up in the cool dirt, leaf litter, and moss. He pulled his charred and blistered limbs close and wept.

The forest was quiet around him, leaving him to his agony in peace for a while. It could not last, however, and it wasn’t long before pink light again gathered around him.

“Looks like you made it,” Bede said, examining his condition. “If only just barely.”

Fury cut through the pain like a hot knife and Raihan’s eyes snapped open.

“ _You._ ”

“Yep, me,” he said, still rather blase. “Let me know when you’re ready for the next trial.”

Raihan crawled to his hands and knees, and was forced to stay that way as a new wave of pain washed over him. He took longer than he liked to get to his blistering feet, but he finally stood before Bede, clutching his injured hand close to himself. His bond hand remained untouched, the burns having passed on to Leon before vanishing.

“Your last trial is also simple,” Bede said, “and it’s to find the one you’re bound to.”

“Find… Find Leon?” Raihan asked. “But that’s what I’ve been trying to do!”

“No, you’ve been focused on your first two trials,” Bede said. “Which got you this far. And now you just need to find him. You find him, you can have him.”

“But… how—” Raihan took a step forward and crumpled once more to the ground. When he looked up, Bede had vanished. He swallowed his tears and struggled again to his feet. 

Find Leon, huh? His bonded. Well, Raihan wouldn’t find him by standing around here. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and forced himself to walk through the forest, step by agonizing step.

The forest was quiet as Raihan started making his way through it, but gradually noises started picking up. At first it was small animal noises, then it gave way to vague moaning sounds. Suddenly, there came the soft sounds of crying. It was all-too familiar, the sounds that Leon had made in the thralls of his nightmare.

“Leon!” Raihan pushed forward with renewed strength. “Leon, I’m coming!”

The crying sounds got louder, then they were suddenly to his right. Tears turned to noises of pain, shifting steadily to agonized screams.

Raihan’s blood ran cold and he changed direction, pushing past the pain in favor of fear for Leon’s safety.

The screams continued for a few long, painful minutes before they devolved into sobbing and pleading. At first they came from only one direction, but slowly he started hearing sounds behind him, to his left, and even above him.

Raihan looked up frantically as the sound flew above him, then caught one of his abused feet under a tree root and fell painfully to the ground. 

“Leon… no…”

Leon’s sounds started shifting more quickly. Crying, then begging, then a scream that gave way to laughter, unnatural to hear in Leon’s adult voice.

Gods, Raihan had never heard him laugh like that. In fact, apart from the sounds he made during his nightmares, he never expressed _any_ emotion as strongly as the cries Raihan heard. Almost as if… 

Raihan stiffened. Quickly, he stabbed his palm on the rough bark of a tree.

The vision of Leon appeared in front of him, right on cue. Leon was more fully slumped forward, his mouth hanging open slightly as the circle lights pulsed more weakly and less frequently. He was breathing shallowly as the rough wound vanished from his hand, and the image of Leon with it.

Gods be damned, he fell for the oldest fairy trick in the book. Leon was in no condition to cry for help, or anything else. Doubtless, he was being led further and further away from Leon. Damn it all! How was he supposed to find Leon in this endless forest? As he crawled once more to his knees, his eyes fell upon the lock of purple hair tied around his wrist. It was a long shot, but it was the only hope he had.

Raihan struggled back to his feet once more. He pulled the hair off his wrist and held it in his bond hand. Raihan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and held the lock of hair close to his heart.

As he concentrated, the sounds around him gradually faded away, leaving a calming quiet in their wake. In the quiet, it was much easier to feel the tugging at his heart. A gentle pull in one direction through the forest.

With his eyes still closed, Raihan walked. As he followed the pull of his heart, the forest seemed to part around him. No more roots caught his feet, or branches tugged on his clothing. Finally, the moss and grimy dirt under his feet shifted to smooth, cool stone. Raihan paused, then tentatively opened his eyes.

Night had fallen in the time Raihan had been walking. In front of him was a stone-paved courtyard sprawled before the ruins of a castle. In the center of the courtyard was Leon. He was breathing raspily, fully slumped over in the glowing circle of runes, and with a much better look, it became apparent that Leon’s bonds were crafted from ice.

Bede’s voice sounded to Raihan’s right.

“Well… uh, you passed. I’m gonna be honest with you, we weren’t counting on you making it this far. A deal’s a deal and all that, but I’m gonna make you take it up with the Queen.”

“That’s alright.” Opal, looking exactly like she had ten years ago, appeared on Raihan’s other side. “We’re just about close to time anyway. I shouldn’t be surprised by your success; a Soul Bond is a powerful thing. Very well, Champion. If you can free him, you can have him.”

Raihan cursed at them both and let out a wail of frustration at another damned test, but surged toward Leon all the same. He gasped the moment he stepped in the binding circle, and felt his own strength seeping out of him, as if his very life force was draining away. He slumped to his knees and put a shaking hand on Leon’s face.

Leon gasped softly, his form twitching. He leaned into Raihan’s touch, letting out a soft noise of distress. 

“It’s okay,” Raihan whispered. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Even as the circle drained him of strength, he seized the chains of ice with his bare hands and _pulled,_ muscles straining. The ice held, not yet giving way to his greatly lessened strength. Leon shifted his weight, looking like he wanted to lean on Raihan, and adding his weight to the pull against the icy chains.

Raihan’s breath came in sharp, hard gasps.

“...come on…almost…”

He grit his teeth and pulled with all he had, and the ice cracked, then shattered under his hands. A sob of relief escaped his throat, and Raihan grabbed Leon around the waist and dragged them both from the circle. The terrible draining sensation stopped the moment they left the circle, though exhaustion was now quickly closing over Raihan. He rolled Leon onto his back and knelt over him.

“Leon? Leon, please…” Raihan cupped his cheek with a shaking hand.

A harsh gasp left Leon’s lips as he was pulled from the draining circle, and he made a noise of relief at Raihan’s gentle touch.

“R… Rai…” he forced out, trying to force his eyes open.

“Leon…” Raihan gently stroked him and pulled him close. “It’s alright. I have you. We’re getting out of here.”

He turned his furious gaze toward Opal, but she ignored him completely, and instead watched the moon climb higher in the sky. Bede’s gaze was similarly skyward, the courtyard they were in providing an excellent view of the moon’s position.

Leon weakly curled against Raihan, starting to move as he fully regained consciousness. One of his hands closed around Raihan’s damaged clothes, holding them weakly.

“W-what’s… where…?”

“We’re in the Fairy Forest,” Raihan said. “I’m getting you out of here.”

Gods, they still had to leave. Would Opal let them go, or would they need to escape? Raihan held Leon close and refused to look at his own ruined feet, afraid of what he’d find.

Leon made a quiet noise of distress, holding Raihan tighter.

“F-Fairies…?”

Up high above, the moon hit its highest point, and there was a moment when everything seemed to stop. It was too quiet, it was too dark, it was too cold.

Then came a faint rumble like thunder and dark clouds began to circle overhead.

Opal gasped and leaned heavily on her cane.

“How?” She rasped. “ _How?_ We have the King! How is the ritual still happening?!”

“I-I don’t know!” Bede exclaimed, “it should be impossible!”

Between one blink and the next, Opal appeared next to Raihan and Leon, looming over them both. She seized both of them by the hair and forced them to look into her eyes.

“The ritual! With the King isolated here, how is the ritual still possible?!” She demanded.

“R-... ritual?...” Leon rasped, still struggling to keep his eyes open.

Bede’s purple eyes were fixed on the clouds swirling overhead. “This is so bad.”

“What are you talking about? What ritual?” Raihan tried to pull away, but her withered grip was unyielding. 

“The Blood Ritual to summon Eternatus!” Opal snarled. “The ritual that demands royal blood be spilled under the zenith of a full moon on the Winter Solstice! We took great care to remove Leon from the castle so the ritual could not be fulfilled! How is it still happening?!” 

Black clouds continued to churn into existence above them, spiraling around the full moon. As Opal’s words sank in, Leon’s eyes suddenly opened wide, adrenaline pushing him into further wakefulness.

“ _Hop!_ ”

Bede’s head snapped over to look at Leon, his mouth dropping open.

“There’s another Royal?!”

“Is this true?” Opal tightened her grip in their hair. “Is there another of royal blood still at the castle?”

“Prince Hop,” Raihan said. “His _brother._ Is that what this is about? How did you not know about him?!”

Opal released them both and took a step back. 

“A miscalculation,” she murmured. “A grave miscalculation. Bede! Why did you not inform me there was a prince as well?”

“I didn’t know!” Bede said defensively, “you know I hate going to the castle!! That bastard is there!”

Leon burst into motion, trying to surge to his feet, letting out a bellow of frustration when his limbs didn’t cooperate.

“ _HOP!!_ ”

Raihan struggled to his own feet, fear pounding through his veins, and moved to support Leon.

“We’ve been away for too long, it seems,” Opal muttered. “We need a new plan.”

Her eyes flashed and she rounded on Leon and Raihan.

“You must return to the palace at once. Royal blood has been shed to summon a demon beast that will destroy all the world if let free. I have spent decades trying to prevent Eternatus from being summoned into this world. I had planned to stop it this cycle by keeping you here, but… Go. By the time the moon sets, it will be too late.”

She snapped her fingers and Leon’s strength returned to him all at once.

Leon staggered as his strength came back in a rush, but soon moved to support Raihan. He looked to Opal, his cold gaze cracking with anguish and fury in equal measure. His voice was far too calm.

“Thank you. Please allow us safe and speedy passage out of your domain.”

“It shall be done. I shall also provide you the means to return quickly to your castle. And one more thing, young King,” Opal said, “you should know that there has been some magic worked on you. I can see the spell, but know not the means to break it, as it is not of fairy design.”

Leon hesitated for a moment, looking back at Opal. It almost looked as though he were going to say something, but ultimately he simply nodded.

“...thank you for this knowledge.”

He shifted Raihan’s weight to better support him, and as the two turned to leave, the fairies vanished from sight.

“Come, Raihan… let’s go.”

Raihan clung to Leon, forcing his ruined feet to move beneath him.

“L-Leon… we have to… oh gods, Hop…”

“I know,” came Leon’s voice, a terrified tremor within it. “We need to make haste to the castle. She promised… I truly hope she delivers…” His arm tightened around Raihan. “Gods, your condition worries me… what the hell did they put you through?”

“Tests and trials. The worst of it was from the burning rocks,” Raihan forced the next words out like a stab to his heart. “…You should leave me behind. I’m no use like this. Go. Save Hop.”

“Shut your mouth,” Leon said harshly. “I will carry you out of here if you continue to spout such bile at me.”

Raihan snapped his mouth shut and clung to Leon. The longer they walked, the less Raihan’s feet dragged, and he noticed that the plants felt strangely cool against his abused feet.

“Why didn’t they just say something?” Raihan finally grumbled. “If they had just explained the situation… damn fairies.”

“Hush,” Leon said quietly, “do not speak ill of them while we’re still in their forest.”

For once, Leon’s steps seemed to be sure in their route, and he led them steadily toward the treeline that was becoming visible. The closer they grew to the treeline, the more sure Raihan’s steps became, until he was walking steadily beside Leon, his wounds vanishing with every step.

Leon looked over at him in surprise as he started walking on his own.

“A-are you…?”

Raihan looked down at his feet, covered in angry welts where there had once been severe burns. Even his knee felt better.

“A gift, I suppose,” Raihan said. “Or an apology. Come. We have to hurry.”

Leon’s hand sought Raihan’s, grasping it tightly and revealing that he was trembling.

“Agreed.”

Raihan gave Leon’s hand a squeeze before they stepped out of the treeline and right into the snowy grove of aspen trees.

“Gods!” Raihan exclaimed. “I almost forgot it was winter.”

The storm clouds swirled overhead, lighting flashing and thunder cracking above them.

“H-hell,” Leon cursed, clutching to himself, shirtless and shivering in the sudden cold. “How did you c-come, by horse?”

“Horse,” Raihan confirmed. “And I had to leave both my horse and my armor at the edge of the forest. I hope that— ah! There.”

Raihan’s armor sat where he left it, piled beneath a tree.

“Gods, it’s going to be freezing,” he said, but started to don the frozen armor anyway. “No idea where the horse went. Gods, even on horseback, it took me hours to get here. How are we supposed to—” 

A roar filled the air. At first, Raihan thought it was more thunder until a flurry of wind tore around them. The ground shook as the enormous orange dragon Char landed beside them.

With one snort from his enormous snout, a wave of heat washed over the area. Leon took off running toward the great dragon.

“Char! You came for us!”

Char lowered his head and wings, allowing for the two of them to get on more easily. Leon was already astride Char by the time Raihan was fully armored, and offered him a hand to help him up onto Char’s back.

“Make haste, Char, to Hammerlocke!” Leon shouted up at the beast, and with one beat of his enormous wings, they were airborne.

“Rituals, spells,” Leon muttered against the wind, “who in the hell could be using Hop for a ritual?!”

Raihan didn’t have an answer, and the question burned in their minds as they flew back to the castle, into the heart of the storm.


	18. The Long Cold - Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware that the tags have been updated.

“Hop. Prince Hop. Wake up, Your Highness.”

Rose’s voice broke through the sunny ambience in Hop’s dream. He was having a picnic out in a vast field of flowers with all his friends. They were far away from the castle, and having a wonderful time in the summer air. The last thing he wanted to do was go to any lessons.

His face scrunched up in a frown as he tried to hold onto the happy dream, but it slipped further away as Rose’s voice sounded again.

“Wake up, Hop. We need to hurry.”

Rose shook him gently by the shoulder.

“H-huh?” Hop said sleepily. He clutched tighter to his plush sheep, burying his face into the soft wool it was made from. “Mm…”

“I know it’s early, Prince Hop, but we have to go. We need to save your brother.”

That woke Hop right up. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“L-Lee? He’s back?! Did Raihan find him?”

“Not yet. But we’re going to do something to help,” Rose leaned over Hop’s bed. It was still dark outside, the full moon high in the sky. “Come, we need to hurry.”

“O-okay, sorry, I’m coming,” Hop yawned as he slid out of bed. He carefully put Wooloo back on the bed, and immediately reached for his knife on the bedside table. His fingers didn’t find anything, and he looked over in surprise.

“I thought I put it back,” He said with another yawn, “where is it…?” Hop bent down, looking under his bedside table for the knife he kept on his belt.

“Don’t worry, you’re not going to need it,” Rose said, but now there was impatience in his voice. “Highness, we need to _hurry._ ”

Hop got back to his feet and turned toward the bed, now more awake and frowning.

“But Raihan told me to always have it with me, no matter what. Maybe it fell under the bed…”

“Raihan isn’t here,” Rose said sternly, and put a firm hand on Hop’s shoulder. “ _Now,_ Hop.”

Hop looked back at his bedside table again, frowning deeply, but finally turned toward the door with Rose’s prompting.

“Okay… well… then what _are_ we doing?”

“We’re going to save all of Galar,” Rose said calmly. “Along with Leon.”

Hop’s eyes widened, and he had to jog to catch up with Rose’s long strides, his bare feet padding along the stone floors.

“All of Galar? I thought we were in peaceful times with everyone…” He looked around as they turned toward the main tower of the castle. “Where are we going?”

“To the tallest tower,” Rose said. “You’re right, we’re at peace with the other kingdoms, but there is a much more sinister threat to Galar. The same threat that took the King.”

“H-huh?” Hop asked, jogging to be alongside Rose again. “Kabu said the Fairies took Leon. But he also said that the Fairies like Raihan, so he’d be able to bring him back.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not true,” Rose started up the long, spiral staircase to the tower. “The Fairies only care about themselves. It’s possible they may kill Raihan to keep the King for themselves.”

Hop felt his heart begin to race, something clenching itself around his chest.

“Wh-what?! B-but… but Kabu s-said they were gonna be okay!”

“Kabu was just trying to make you feel better. It was kind, but a lie. The Fairies have done terrible, terrible things in the past. Did you know they stole my son?”

Hop stumbled up the stone steps after Rose, feeling tears pricking at his eyes. Kabu had never lied to Hop. Why would he lie? Especially about Leon and Raihan.

“I d-didn’t know you had a son,” Hop said with a thick voice. He fought back tears. “W-why’d they take him? W-why would they take Lee?”

“They took my son Bede because that is their way. You’ve heard Raihan’s stories of people who vanish after wandering too deep into the woods. They are villainous, wicked, unpredictable creatures. They do whatever they want without logic or reason, sowing chaos wherever they go. Their magic leeches into the entire kingdom like a disease, creating monsters and dragons that rampage the countryside and murder the innocent citizens of Galar. I fear they took your brother because he is the King, and they plan to destroy our way of life and take all of Galar for their own.”

Hop tried hard to listen and understand what Rose was saying. Fairies were evil, and they wanted to take over? But then why did they never come out of their forest? He’d never seen a fairy before. Though come to think of it, when he’d told Raihan he wanted to see one, he remembered the look on his face. Maybe Rose was right.

And besides, he needed to help save Leon. He _had_ to make sure Leon came home safe.

Hop let out a sigh as they reached the top of the tower, barely winded by the trip after all his training with Raihan.

“...o-okay… what… what do we have to do to get Lee back?”

“I’ll show you. Right this way.”

Rose opened the door that led to the battlements at the top of the tower. Someone had painstakingly cleared all the snow from the stone surface, but it was still breathtakingly cold. Hop shifted from foot to foot, wishing he’d taken the time to put on his boots. Rose put a firm hand on Hop’s shoulder and guided him forward.

The stone was freezing beneath his feet, but he obediently walked forward. He felt odd grooves beneath his toes and looked down. Underneath his feet were strange designs and patterns, carved right into the stone of the tower and spreading out around him in a circle. There was strange writing all around the edge of the circle, spelling out words in a language Hop didn’t understand. Rose stopped him once he was in the center of the circle and stood behind him.

“Okay, Hop. I need you to look straight ahead. Keep looking forward, toward the horizon.”

Hop blinked in confusion, looking back toward Rose.

“That’s it?”

“ _Forward,_ ” Rose ordered.

“S-sorry, right,” Hop said, looking forward again. The view from up here was incredible. He felt like he could see forever. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he’d see the ocean.

“Now, I need you to stand very still,” Rose put a hand on his shoulder and held him in place. “Are you ready?”

_Ready for what?_ Hop thought, but he nodded.

“I’m ready, Rose.”

“Good.” Rose’s grip tightened. “I tried this with Leon years ago and it failed. But I know you won’t disappoint me, Hop.”

_Tried wha—_

The knife sank into Hop’s back before he could even finish the thought. He tried to scream as pain blossomed through him, but he could only make a choking sound before he fell to his knees. Rose jerked the knife out of him, and Hop was overcome by another wave of pain. 

“I am truly sorry to do this, Hop,” Rose said, calm and composed, “and if you do as I say, you are quite likely to survive this. After all, Galar will still need a king after all is said and done.”

Hop could barely register anything beyond pain.

“On your back now, Prince,” Rose continued smoothly, “your blood needs to fill the circle, and you will bleed better laying down.”

It was hard to think past the burning pain in his back, and he started trying to struggle to his feet. He vaguely registered that there was a faint glow beginning to come from the grooves in the stone beneath him.

“Wh… why…?” he forced out, tears spilling down his cheeks.

“We just went through the why, Hop. It seems you once again failed to pay attention.”

Moving carefully into the circle, Rose knelt down and took hold of Hop's shoulders, forcing him to lie flat against the freezing stone. He loomed over Hop, his grip unyielding as he set aside the knife, the very same blade Hop had so desperately tried to find earlier. Rose's dark eyes glinted in the moonlight, and Hop could no longer see warmth in them, as cold as the stone beneath him.

“Stay still, Hop,” he said firmly, “I want you to live through this. Though you _have_ always been rather obstinate to my instruction… so I will do what I must to ensure your cooperation.”

Hop whimpered under Rose’s weight, struggling to sit up, tears streaming down his face.

“P-please,” he pleaded, trembling with the pain lancing through him.

Rose tutted and shook his head in disappointment.

“You continue to fail to listen to me.”

He produced a length of rope from his satchel and tied Hop's ankles together tightly. His eyes fell to the circle below them, the runes growing brighter with a sickly pink light.

“Ah! It's working, Hop! I knew your blood was pure!” Rose bound Hop's wrists together in front of him and positioned him carefully on his back at the very center of the circle again.

“P-pure…?” Hop questioned, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out what to do. 

He really wished Leon were here.

“Only the untainted blood of the Galar Royal Lineage can activate this circle. Your blood is the key to purging Galar of every fairy, dragon, and monster. We will rid Galar of this threat once and for all!”

Above them, black clouds spiraled into existence, slowly blotting out the moon.

“Wh… what’s gonna happen…?” Hop asked weakly, tears joining the blood beneath him.

It was so hard to think. What would Raihan do in this situation? He’d know what to do.

“This circle will open a portal to the dark realm and bring forth Eternatus,” Rose explained, as calmly as if this were just another one of Hop’s lessons. He turned away and looked up at the darkening sky. “Eternatus will hunt down every last magic creature in the kingdom. Starting with those filthy fairies.”

Pain was all Hop could think about or feel, breathing shallowly as he stared up at the dark clouds swirled above the tower.

“ _Hop!!_ ”

Hope sprang to life in Hop’s chest at the sound of Allister’s terrified voice.

“A… Al…?”

The specter’s pale face appeared above him, horror written in his ghostly features.

“Hop, oh gods, Hop!!” He looked up, glancing between Rose and the glowing circle.

“H-help,” Hop managed, though he wasn’t sure what Allister would be able to do.

“I’m going to get Kabu!” Allister said quickly, “please hang in there, Hop! We’ll be right back!!”

“Okay,” he said weakly, “h-hurry…”

Allister vanished from in front of him and Hop took a deeper, shaky breath. Kabu would come save him. He should have listened more to Kabu. Kabu wouldn’t hurt him.

The clouds grew thicker and darker overhead as Hop’s blood slowly filled in every line and crevice of the circle. Lightning flashed through the sky with great booming thunder. 

“Good job, Hop,” Rose said, turning back to observe the circle’s progress. “You’re doing wonderfully.”

“I-it hurts,” Hop spoke through his tears. “P-please…”

“Stay still, Hop. You’ll be a hero after this. Look! It’s starting!”

High above them, a line of the same sickly pink light sliced through the air, like a crack in the sky itself. Slowly, the line widened into a gaping hole in the sky, revealing a darkness blacker than the blackest night. Within the dark, something moved.

Despite everything, Hop felt a chill run up his spine.

“Yes! At long last, yes!” Rose raised his hands to the sky. “Eternatus! Deliver us from the monstrosities that plague our land!”

A claw reached out from the portal, grasping at empty air, and then a bone-chilling screech filled the sky. Hop’s whole body shivered, feeling the creature’s cry all the way down to his bones.

“Hop!!” Kabu’s terrified voice pierced the air, and only then did Hop hear his rapid footfalls. “Rose!! What the hell are you doing?!”

Rose spun around, eyes wide.

“Kabu! Stand down! I have the situation under control!”

“You’re a madman!” Kabu snarled, snapping the ever-present scroll off of his belt.

In one fluid motion, he unfurled the ornate scroll, its page swirling out toward Rose. The characters on it glowed with a searing orange color and it suddenly sprang to life. One side of its flat body was a bold red, the other burned like a flame with swirling designs dancing about its belly. Both ends of the impossibly long creature sported flaming whiskers that lit up the dark night, and one end opened up with a fang-filled maw, letting out a rattling roar. 

“A dragon!?” Rose exclaimed. 

Rose snapped his arm forward and his elephant-headed cane appeared in his hand. Its eyes glowed red and a barrier of crimson light sprang into existence between him and the dragon.

“I should have known you would throw your lot in with these beasts!” Rose spat.

“You attacked Hop,” Kabu said firmly as his thin, exceedingly long dragon lashed its body against Rose’s barrier. “That is all I need to know to be convinced of your betrayal.”

“You will not stop me! And you _cannot_ stop Eternatus!”

As if in response, another ear-splitting shriek filled the air, and a massive, skeletal head pushed through the portal. It opened its terrible jaws and roared.

“Kabu…” Hop said weakly, starting to try and struggle to a sitting position. It was so hard, his back hurt so much.

“Hop!!” Allister’s voice sounded near him again. “Don’t move, okay? W-we’re going to get you help!”

He stared at Allister’s pale face, though it was starting to waver. Was that Allister? Why would he start disappearing again?

Maybe… maybe he’d just rest his eyes for a second.

“Hop, Hop stay awake!!”

“O-okay,” Hop mumbled, his eyes drifting closed. The darkness there wasn’t as deep as what he’d seen behind the sky.

“ _Hop!_ ”

* * *

The shrieking of whatever the _hell_ was going on up above rattled the windows and shook the ancient stone walls. Raihan sprinted up the stairs to the tallest tower, Leon on his heels, the two of them armed and armored once more. 

Raihan burst through the door and gaped. Hop lay unconscious in a magic circle made of blood at the center of the tower. Rose - goddamn _Rose_ \- was dueling with Kabu. Above them all, Char, Flygon, and a flame-colored dragon Raihan didn’t recognize fought a hellish monstrosity trying to crawl out of the sky itself.

“ _Hop!!_ ”

Leon shoved past Raihan, sprinting right for Hop in the center of the tower, completely ignoring all else.

“ _Dammit!_ ” Rose swung his cane and a dome of red light appeared over Hop, protecting the prince and the circle from interference.

“No!” Leon cried, drawing his sword regardless.

Kabu struck out at Rose while his attention was diverted, aiming a strike with his katana right at Rose’s neck. Rose snapped his cane up and blocked the blow. Kabu shifted his grip, and the katana slid down the length of the cane to slice deep into Rose’s hand. Rose cried out, then switched his cane to his other hand. Kabu had thrown all his strength into the two-handed slash, and the follow through left him wide open. Rose swung his cane like a mace and struck Kabu hard in the thigh, the elephant tusks digging deep into his leg. A crack rang out through the tower as Kabu’s femur snapped, and he dropped like a stone to the ground. Kabu's agonized cry rang out across the top of the tower before it faded, giving way to the deafening roars in the sky.

“ _Kabu!_ ” Raihan drew his sword and charged.

“Not so fast!” Rose snarled, and the eyes of the elephant-head cane glowed. “You may have failed me eight years ago, but at least you still have your uses!” 

Raihan had no idea what Rose was talking about, and led his charge with his sword, aiming for Rose’s heart. A shout rang out, and a blade slashed at Raihan from the side and parried his blow.

It was Leon’s.

“L-Leon?” Raihan stared at him in shock, then hastily drew his sword back to deflect Leon’s next attack.

“I don’t know what’s—my body is moving on its own!” Leon cried, real fear in his golden eyes as he pressed forward with another brutal attack.

Raihan retreated, defending against each blow.

“I’ll deal with you in a moment,” Rose said coldly to Kabu, and tapped his cane on the ground. Sharp, thorn-covered vines erupted out of the stone and bound Kabu tightly. “Despite your tainted blood, it seems you’ve helped me after all, Leon.”

“Tainted blood? What are you _talking_ about?!” Leon demanded as he swung another strike at Raihan.

Raihan tucked into a defensive stance, wishing he had Leon’s shield in his own hands right now.

“I suppose you wouldn’t remember,” Rose mused, taking the time to examine his wounded hand. “I did place a spell on you to suppress your memories, after all. Eight years ago I brought you up here on Midwinter night to perform the same ritual. However, your blood did not activate the circle. The only explanation is that your blood is impure. Perhaps your mother was less faithful than we all assumed.”

“How _dare_ you!” Leon snarled, accented by another swing of his sword at Raihan. His eyes met Raihan’s and realization hit him. “Raihan! Our blood oath!”

Raihan gasped and deflected the blow.

“You’re right! Your blood combined with mine!”

“ _What?_ ” Rose roared. “You’ve been ruining my plans even _then?_ Gods, if I had known how much trouble you were going to be, I would have had you assassinated years ago!”

“You sent the assassins after me!” Leon accused, dropping low to try and strike at Raihan’s legs.

“Of course I did. Your blood was useless to me and you were becoming quite troublesome. First, I wanted it to seem natural. I hired a man to send the most dangerous dragon in the kingdom into a rampage, knowing that you would want to see to the situation personally. Instead, you had the audacity to _tame_ the monstrosity. Ah, though it appears your alliance with those beasts isn’t providing much assistance,” Rose looked up as Eternatus let out a terrible roar. Kabu’s fiery dragon fell from the sky and crumpled to the courtyard below.

“When the dragon failed to kill you, I sent assassins after both you and your meddlesome Champion at the Harvest Festival. Then, after learning how much trouble your Champion was, I was fortunate enough to find a woman already eager to kill Raihan, and I just needed to let her know when and where, with some coin as encouragement,” Rose tutted at his injured hand. “Alas, it seems you just can’t find good help these days. I suppose I’ll have to kill you both myself. But first, I have another troublesome Ex-Champion to dispose of.”

Rose drew a dirk from under his cloak and strode calmly toward where Kabu lay bound and helpless.

“No! _Kabu!_ ” Raihan cried out, but had to duck another slash from Leon.

Kabu struggled against the vines, grunting as the thorns dug into his skin, ultimately unable to move. Raihan parried one more blow, then kicked out and forced Leon backward a step. 

“Good-bye, Kabu,” Rose said calmly, and raised the dirk high.

Raihan turned his back on Leon and lunged toward Rose. He caught the hilt of the blade with his sword and neatly disarmed him, sending the blade skidding across the battlements. 

“Damn you, Raihan!” Rose snarled. 

He swung his cane, but instead of trying to hit him, lightning crackled from the elephant head and struck Raihan in the chest. He cried out and fell back against the stone, his back arching as lighting coursed through his body.

“Raihan!” Leon cried out, and he charged toward Raihan.

Limbs spasming with electricity, Raihan could only watch as Leon closed in on him, sword raised. Leon let out a bellow of anger and frustration, though his body did not falter as it moved to take advantage of the opportunity.

There was a burst of pale light, and suddenly Leon’s sword and shield stopped in mid-air, even as Leon continued with the momentum. Leon stumbled, looking from his empty hands to the floating weapons.

“Allister!” Leon said with relief, even as he continued toward Raihan, now only wielding his fists.

“W-what? What magic is this?” Rose demanded, staring at the floating weapons and halting his attack on Raihan in shock.

Raihan scrambled to his feet, muscles still twitching from the shock, but had just enough time to bring his arms up to block Leon’s first punches. Leon’s face was contorted with a jumble of emotions, and as he and Raihan engaged in closer quarters, a tiny bit of blood began to trickle from his nose.

“Protect Kabu!” Leon said firmly, despite his expression, and the floating sword and shield sped over toward the fallen swordsman.

Rose picked up Kabu’s fallen katana and brought it swinging down at Kabu’s neck, only to be deflected by the large shield, glowing with Allister’s unearthly radiance. 

“Good idea,” Raihan said. He’d lost his sword in the attack, the blade laying at his feet. He blocked two more punches before Leon caught both his wrists. Leon grappled with him, doing all he could to drive Raihan to the ground. Finally, Leon stomped on Raihan’s foot, and the blow was enough to drive him to one knee. 

“Leon, don’t! Fight it!”

“I’m trying!” Leon said desperately. Blood was beginning to more steadily seep from his nose. “G-gods, Raihan, I—” He winced, even as he grabbed onto Raihan, fighting him into a pin.

Raihan grunted, trying to fight back, but though he was taller and had spent the last decade perfecting his weapons training, he couldn’t compete with Leon’s raw upper body strength. 

“You can do it, I believe in you!”

Leon’s hands finally forced Raihan into submission, pressing one knee down hard atop him to keep him in place.

“R-Raihan, I can’t—stop me, stop me before I—!”

“I’m _trying,_ ” Raihan grunted, and his arms strained against Leon’s iron grip. 

Despite the panic in his eyes, Leon’s voice was still rather level, and he kept Raihan pinned with his strong legs. A trail of blood continued dripping from his nose, a few drops falling down onto Raihan. The dredges of a sob forced its way out of Leon’s throat as he wrapped both hands around Raihan’s throat. 

“No, no, no!”

With his hands freed, Raihan grabbed at Leon’s arms, but his grip was unyielding.

“You can do this,” Raihan said earnestly. “You’re strong enough. I trust you.”

Leon’s strong hands began to squeeze Raihan’s neck, and he hesitated slightly before the grip began to intensify.

“Raihan, no… _no_ … please…”

“It’s okay, Lee,” Raihan choked out. “...I love you.”

Raihan managed one last gasp before his breath was cut off. Leon let out a choked sound, blood beginning to pour more intently from his nose, though his hands only got tighter.

“What? You fell in love with _him?_ ” Rose scoffed. Thus far he’d failed at getting past the glowing sword and shield to reach Kabu. “He can’t love you back. The spell that locked away his memories had the unintended side effect of locking away his emotions. You fell in love with a heartless statue!”

“I-I lo—” Leon’s hands hesitated as he let out a cry of pain, blood from his nose dripping down onto Raihan’s face and splashing across the breastplate of his armor.

Raihan tried to speak, but couldn’t push words past the fingers around his throat. His face turned red and his lips turned blue. Raihan’s lungs screamed for air he couldn’t reach, and he kicked and struggled futilely under Leon’s merciless grip.

A strangled cry of pain escaped Leon, tears starting to course down his cheeks, joining the blood dripping off his chin. Leon let out a yell of frustration, his hands tightening around Raihan’s throat, his whole body shaking.

“That’s one pest finally out of my hair,” Rose said coldly.

A small crackling noise like splintering glass rose around them. Leon’s whole form shook violently, blood seeping down his front. Finally, with an enormous clap like thunder, he yanked his own hands off of Raihan’s throat and fell back onto the stone floor.

Raihan gasped and rolled onto his side. His chest heaved as he took in blessed air. 

Leon collapsed, still trembling, though his nose had stopped bleeding. A scream of agony ripped itself from his throat, morphing quickly into a bellow of rage. Tears anew streamed from his eyes, and his anger soon turned to anguish, sobbing as he curled up into a ball on the floor.

“You little brat,” Rose growled and stalked toward them. “Did you just break my spell? I’ll have to pick something more _permanent_ this time!”

Rose waved his cane, and another crackling bolt of red lightning lanced from its end. Leon let out a yell as it engulfed him, and he thrashed about on the ground.

Raihan was already on his feet, his fallen sword in hand once again.

“Don’t you dare!” he roared, and slashed out at Rose. He caught a burst of movement from the corner of his eye, just in time to see Flygon crash against the castle wall. Battered and bloodied, the dragon scrambled to his feet and threw himself once more into the air. With a mournful wail, he dipped his wings and flew north, retreating from the fight.

Laughter sounded from Leon, light and manic, and he started struggling to his feet, tears still streaming down his blood-stained face.

“ _R-Rose…_ ” He spat out the word with more deposition than ever before.

Rose darted out of the way of Raihan’s aggressive attacks, blocking with his cane and retreating back across the tower. Raihan pressed forward, driving him away from Leon.

Leon made it to his feet, taking two steps before he was laughing again.

“It was you… of _course_ it was you who attacked me… I tried to remember… I tried _so damn hard_ … and because I couldn’t, you did the same thing to Hop.” His steps were more solid, and he spoke more firmly. More coldly.

“You will die for what you did.”

“You don’t understand!” Rose protested. “This is for the good of all Galar! For the protection of Galar’s people! You were kidnapped yourself by fairies today!”

“They were trying to prevent what _you_ were doing!” Leon seemed heedless of the fact that he was unarmed. A slow moving storm of rage approached Rose with burning golden eyes and wild purple hair.

“I am doing a service! I am saving Galar! I will go down in history as—”

Rose was so caught up in his anger that he didn’t see Raihan’s next attack until it was too late. He only just managed to block Raihan’s sword, lifting his cane to defend against the blow, except the blow never came. Raihan feinted, and Rose all but threw his cane into Raihan’s waiting hand. He jerked the cane out of Rose’s grasp, then snapped it in half over his knee and threw the pieces off the edge of the battlements. The thorny vines covering Kabu and the barrier over Hop disappeared.

“ _NO!!!_ ” Rose howled. “You buffoon! You idiot! You don’t know what you’ve done! Without that, I cannot control Eternatus!”

“Good!” Raihan snapped, and raised his sword once more.

“Allister!” Leon bellowed, and his sword and shield sped right into his waiting hands. Leon’s sword joined Raihan’s in pointing at Rose. Allister’s spectral form snapped out of the weapons. He floated aimlessly backward, looking far more transparent than usual.

“Kabu, get Hop out of here!” Raihan ordered.

“Don’t you dare!” Rose tried to run toward Hop, but was held at bay by the twin swords of Leon and Raihan.

Kabu let out a roar of pain, slowly getting to his feet, dragging his mangled leg as he made his way toward Hop.

“You have so much to answer for,” Leon said, anger seeping from his every word. “I trusted you—Hop trusted you!” He took a step forward, pressing his blade toward Rose’s throat. “Tell me this. That ‘rogue assassin’ that killed my parents…”

“Oh, he really was from Kalos,” Rose said, “but his payment came from Galar coffers. They were already starting to suspect I was up to something, and if you didn’t survive the ritual, they certainly would have had me exiled, or worse. It was truly fortunate that Kalos' royalty offered to send that idiot boy Az so I had someone to—”

Leon’s strike was swift, piercing his sword right through Rose’s stomach. The blade exited Rose’s back in nearly the same place Rose had stabbed Leon, and more recently, Hop.

“You always did talk too much,” Leon said coldly, and kicked Rose off of his blade.

“N… no… I…” Rose collapsed and clutched at his wound, staring at Leon with wide, shocked eyes.

“I’m helping Kabu,” Raihan said, clapping Leon briefly on the shoulder.

He started toward Kabu and the blood circle around Hop, but pulled up short as an unearthly screech filled the air. Eternatus was almost completely through the portal, only its massive wings still within the dark realm. Raihan looked up just in time to see Char fall, the last of the dragons, defeated by monstrosity in the sky. His massive body hit the ground with enough force to shake the foundations.

“Dammit,” Leon cursed, staring at the enormous beast emerging from the sky. “How the hell are we supposed to get to it now?”

Leon’s head snapped over as Hop let out a cry of pain. Kabu’s hands shook as he cut through the ropes binding Hop. Leon took a step toward them, a real look of pain and anguish on his face, the extreme expression unfamiliar there.

As soon as Hop’s hands were free, his fingers closed around his dagger, still laying on the stone beside him, and he dragged the blade across the blood circle. The stone gave way, and the circle was broken.

An earth shattering clap blasted at them from the sky as the tear snapped shut. Wings severed, Eternatus fell through the air, straight toward the tower below.

“ _Move!_ ” Raihan roared. “Move, move, move!” 

Raihan charged toward Kabu and Hop, Leon on his heels, and they both pulled Kabu and Hop out of the way, just in time for Eternatus to land hard on the stone tower. It reared its horned head and shrieked, claws scrabbling against the battlements for purchase. One claw found Rose and latched on to him, smearing him across the stone as the monster found its footing.

“Allister!” Leon called into the settling dust. “Allister I need you!”

The ghost boy appeared beside them, looking more out of sorts than usual.

“What do you need?” he asked, his voice sounding far away.

“Take control of my shield and carry Hop with it to the infirmary,” he ordered, “Kabu, lean on the shield, you’re in no condition to carry Hop.”

“Y-yes, Leon,” Kabu said, clearly trying to bury his pain.

“Raihan and I need to deal with… that thing out there.”

“Take care,” Raihan said. “We’ll join you when this is over.”

Kabu gave Raihan a nod as Allister disappeared and Hop was placed up on the floating shield. Leon took a shaky breath as he turned back toward the thrashing creature, his sword arm trembling a little.

Raihan couldn’t help but feel horrified awe as he witnessed at the hellbeast before them, made of steel, bone, and spines, with a long, sinewy tail tipped with a lance-like spike.

“I don’t think we can reason with this one,” Raihan finally said.

“Couldn’t reason with the last one either,” Leon grumbled.

Raihan glanced at him with a wry smile.

“Let’s take it down together, then. It doesn’t leave this tower alive!”

“Agreed,” Leon nodded, glancing at Raihan. “Let’s go.”

And with his head held high, Leon led the way back toward the enormous beast. They fought as one, complimenting each other’s fighting styles and covering for each other’s weaknesses. They were quick to discover that Eternatus was no mindless beast, with sharp, intelligent eyes that followed their every move. They fended off razor sharp claws, spines, and the wickedly fast tail as they tried to draw its head near where they had a chance to land a killing blow. 

“Left!” Leon shouted at Raihan, dodging a swing from the creature’s tail. It was hard to tell how long the fight had been going, but after the intense battle, both men were tiring.

Raihan dodged, but didn’t have time to even catch his breath, fighting off a massive claw.

“I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up!” he shouted back at him.

“We need to get in close! Take its head!” Leon called back, falling into a roll to avoid a snap of the creature’s jaws.

Raihan took heart as Eternatus finally became frustrated enough to snap with its jaws. If he could distract Eternatus enough to create an opening, Leon could get in and finish the job.

“Follow my lead!” Raihan shouted, and charged forward. Leon followed without hesitation.

Raihan skillfully deflected claws and spines. If he could get all the way up to Eternatus’ chest, he could either strike a serious blow to the chest itself, or bait the monster into trying to bite them again, where Leon could capitalize on the opening and strike it down. All he needed to do was keep the beast’s attention on him as Leon got into position. Raihan felt like he was fighting a whole mob, Eternatus had so many weapons. One, two, three claws — the fourth had been severed some time ago — the forward facing spines on its neck, the surprisingly dangerous wing-stubs… Raihan kept an eye on them all. He just needed to watch out for that tail. It was lighting fast and harder to keep track of in the chaos of the— 

Raihan heard it before he saw it. The high, shrill sound of the tail whipping through the air. Raihan deflected another claw and turned on his heel to parry the tail, only to find that the tail wasn’t coming for him.

It was headed for Leon.

Leon, who had given up his shield to get Hop out of the fight. Leon, whose sharp eyes were searching for an opening, unaware of the danger behind him. He didn’t stand a chance.

“ _LEON!_ ” Raihan pivoted on his heel and turned back to Leon.

The tail was too strong and too fast for him to deflect from this angle. Raihan did the only thing he could do and shoved Leon out of the way. 

A jolt passed through Raihan, and he stiffened. He looked down at himself to find a black spike protruding two feet out of his gut. His armor had twisted and warped around the spike. Vaguely, Raihan registered that his legs had given out, but he still remained upright, supported by the deadly tail.

His sword slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground with a deafening clatter.

“ _RAIHAN!!_ ” Leon screamed, his voice hoarse.

Raihan slowly touched the spike, as if making sure it was really there, then screamed as Eternatus whipped its tail back again, this time dragging Raihan with it.

Leon let out another cry and charged Eternatus, his sword leading. 

Raihan’s scream was cut short as blood bubbled up in his throat, drowning his cries as he coughed and choked on his own blood. The world spun this way and that as Eternatus tried to shake him off its tail, then Raihan was suddenly face to face with Leon.

Leon stopped short, narrowly missing Raihan with his sword. Horror was in his eyes, but still he moved, darting past Raihan with another yell.

Raihan head spun and his limbs swung limply as he was yanked around again, suddenly right in front of Leon once more.

Oh gods. Eternatus was using him as a shield.

Leon was expecting it this time, switching his momentum quicker and breezing past Raihan. The sound of steel clashing against the creature’s scales announced he’d landed a hit.

Good. That was his Leon, succeeding despite all odds. 

Raihan let a garbled cry as he was yanked high in the air. He experienced a sickening moment where he could see the entire scene, Leon fighting tooth and nail against the monster far below him. Then everything moved very fast, Eternatus swinging Raihan’s limp body at Leon like a club.

Pain tore through him once more as he crashed against Leon, glancing off his shoulder, their armor clashing against each other with a loud ringing sound. Leon stumbled, trying to regain his footing, and his head snapped over just as Raihan was yanked up high again.

“Allister!”

Allister? Wasn’t he a shield now? Thoughts were coming harder around the pain. He hung limply off the tail, unable to even consider pulling himself free.

In a flash of glinting steel, Raihan’s own sword lifted off the ground and flew with incredible speed past the creature’s grasping claws and sliced cleanly through its tail. Raihan had the briefest glimpse of watching his sword hover on its own, and then he was falling, spinning uncontrolled through the air. He hit the ground with a wet crunch and didn’t move.

Eternatus screeched, its claws scrabbling at the stone of the tower. Leon let out one more bellow, and with one final, garbled scream, Eternatus went quiet.

Everything was suddenly so very quiet.

“Raihan, _RAIHAN!_ ”

Leon ran over to him, doing his best to gently roll Raihan over onto his back. Raihan could do little more than grunt as Leon gently turned him over.

“Oh gods, oh _gods_ Raihan, no… no…”

The tail spike still protruded from Raihan’s abdomen, but as he watched, it dissolved into ash, along with the rest of Eternatus. With the spine gone, blood flowed freely from his wound. 

“L-Lee…” he coughed, and blood filled his mouth. 

Leon wailed, and he gently rested Raihan’s head in his lap. Tears started anew in his eyes, dripping from his chin onto Raihan.

“No… Raihan, please… don’t leave me…”

Raihan felt cold all over, and his fingers were numb. His vision started to tunnel inward and he _knew._

“...L…” His voice failed as his lungs gave up the fight. 

With his last remaining strength, Raihan pushed him himself upward and kissed Leon with blood-stained lips. A small whimper escaped Leon into Raihan, though his soft, warm lips returned the kiss.

Raihan sank back into Leon’s arms, what little strength he had left now spent. Raihan met Leon’s golden eyes one last time. Leon…his King, his friend, his bonded, his true love. With Rose and Eternatus gone, Leon would be safe at last. Raihan gave him a pure, joyous smile, then let the darkness claim him. The light left his eyes, going wide and glassy, and he lay limp and still in Leon's arms, the hints of a smile still on his lips.

  
  


There was nothing. 

  
  


Then there was a brief moment of disorientation, and Raihan stared down at Leon holding him. No… he was floating above the tower, looking down at Leon holding Raihan’s body.

“No, no no no!” came Leon’s voice, though it sounded far away. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he clutched Raihan’s still face and let out an agonized wail.

Another voice spoke, sounding much closer.

“I’m so sorry, Raihan… I didn’t come fast enough.”

“Allister?” Raihan looked over to see the ghost floating beside him. “No… No! No, I can’t leave him now! He needs me!” 

Raihan stretched his arm out toward Leon, but he was out of reach.

The two of them were slowly drifting away from the tower, moving slowly southward as the sky above them began to lighten from the deep colors of night.

“I’m sorry,” Allister whispered, tears glinting in his eyes even as his whole form wavered. “Looks like… it’s time for both of us…”

“What? No! No, he can’t lose us both! Leon! _Leon!_ ” Raihan reached futilely for him once more, but Leon was even further away as they floated south. 

Leon was moving again, ripping the gauntlet off his own right hand and tearing the gauntlet off of Raihan’s left.

“I can’t— I need you, Raihan, please… I know it won’t work, but… gods _please_ … please let him stay with me… we’re… we…”

He took a shaky breath, and held his right hand up to his sword.

“...we made a promise.”

With that, he sliced across his palm.

The wound lingered a bit, as it always did, then vanished from his hand. As it always did, the wound reappeared on Raihan’s left palm.

Raihan suddenly felt a _much_ harder tug.

In a burst of light, breaking into the sky with the rising sun, the cut on Raihan’s body’s hand vanished, then his body and spirit along with it.

Allister was left alone, only able to watch as Leon let out a scream of agony, wailing atop the tower. 

As dawn broke over Galar, her King wept.

End of Part Two: The Long Cold


	19. Melting Snow - Chapter 1

Part Three: Melting Snow

Cold winds blew snow and ice into Leon’s face, even as he tried his best to tuck his head against Char’s warm back. Even though the snow had thinned and the wind was less biting this far south, he was still grateful for every amount of heat Char could give him. He pulled his thick cloak tighter around himself, his eyes scanning the horizon for the sleepy town of Postwick.

It had been a little over a month since the clash with Rose and Eternatus. The days had been a blur of political mess, organizing structural cleanup, and tending to the injured.

Despite his newly freed emotions, Leon had felt numb, more void of feeling than his entire time under Rose's spell. His heart had been opened just in time for it to be broken.

The sharpest feelings came as he anxiously stood by the beds of Kabu and Hop, though the pained feelings eased back into a dull ache as both of them steadily recovered.

It tore him apart to leave them, even for a day, but he couldn’t linger there any longer.

A gentle pull had been constantly nagging him, reaching deep within him to grab hold of him and not let go. Gradually the pull had become a tug, yanking on his heart, beckoning him southward. His dreams no longer lingered on Rose’s attack, but were now consumed by deep mists and dark forests, full of faraway moans and winding paths leading nowhere. All the while, he could sense Raihan near, just out of reach.

He had to get to the Weald.

After a long discussion with Sonia, she strongly advised him against going, stating plainly that few people who went into the Weald ever came out again.

He had graciously but firmly ignored her advisement, and later announced to her, Sebastian, and Kabu that he would be leaving.

Hopefully it wouldn’t be long, he had said, two weeks at the most. If they didn’t hear from him within three, they were to not follow. Later, he told Hop nearly the same thing, but left out the contingency plan.

_I **will** return. And I’m returning with Raihan._

These were the words he told Hop, and he clung to them like a lifeline, hoping that if he believed them, they would become true.

Leon was brought out of his thoughts as Char let out a rumble beneath him. Postwick was growing closer. He stroked the great dragon’s neck and tapped him twice, signaling him to land.

He was grateful as Char picked a rather vacant snowy field to land in that was normally occupied by sheep in the warmer months. The last thing he wanted to do was startle the sleepy town with the presence of a giant dragon.

Leon slid off of the dragon’s back, landing hard in the snow. He once again stroked Char’s neck, offering him quiet thanks for his help. The great lizard gave a warm snort, melting down the snow around them a ways before he turned and took off again. Leon held up his cape to shield against the snow his wings kicked up, and let out a sigh as it began to settle and Char’s silhouette disappeared into the clouds.

The woods surrounding Postwick were welcoming on warm, sunny days, but in the dreary cold of winter, it was harder to locate the right place to enter the wood. Fog rolled along the snowy hills and between the trees. What had Allister once told him?

“Follow the fog.”

Well, there was entirely too much fog to follow right now, and he felt another sharp pang in his chest. Allister wasn't here to follow now, either.

Leon had to bury that thought as the tugging feeling in his chest overruled the pain. He drifted almost aimlessly through the empty fields, trailing along the treeline until he felt a particularly strong tug. Following it, he wandered into the trees, finding a dirt path that he followed until he came upon a small crumbling stone bridge.

He paused, trying to determine if it was safe to cross, marveling at just how old it seemed to be. As he stared at the ancient stone, he noticed that the fog around him seemed to be moving, flowing slowly past him. It licked the edges of the crumbling rocks, pointing him deeper into the woods.

This had to be it. The entrance to the Weald.

Adjusting his pack on his back, Leon squared his shoulders and walked into the Slumbering Weald.

Unconsciously, he took a breath as he passed across the old bridge, and it wasn’t long before he could barely see the dirt path that he walked upon. A chill passed through him as he watched the fog swirl in front of him, beckoning him deeper into the unknown.

_I **am** returning with Raihan,_ he told himself once more.

He repeated this to himself as he continued on into the forest.

Leon walked, and walked, and walked. There were no paths, no markers, no landmarks. Just trees, moss, and mist.

Sometimes there was snow beneath his feet, sometimes it turned to grass and moss. The fog was thick enough that he could barely see in front of him. He looked down at his bond hand from time to time, using it to ground himself in the disorienting, maddening wood. He tried his best to follow the tugging sensation in his chest, but it only led him in what felt like circles.

Leon wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he finally stepped on a twig, and the small sound rang out through the quiet like thunder.

From then on, he heard noises from the fog. Solitary birds crowed, some form of beast brayed, and then came the moans. Low and pained, the moans were most certainly the same he’d heard in his dreams. Taking a shaky breath, he started to follow them.

Gradually the moaning morphed into howls that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Still he followed the sound, and as they got closer, he felt that tug again. Yanking on his very being, pulling him to where he knew he needed to be.

Another howl rang through the forest, this time right in front of him. A shape moved in the mists, drawing closer. Leon glanced one more time at his bond hand, then clenched it to his chest and moved to meet the shape forming in the fog.

The mist parted before him and revealed an enormous white wolf. She sat directly in Leon’s path and regarded him with wise, intelligent eyes, one silver, one blue. Leon paused in front of the wolf, taking in the creature for a moment before he gasped slightly. A fragment of memory passed through Leon's mind, of a spring afternoon so very long ago, and of two distant, massive figures passing through an open meadow.

He regained himself after a moment and bowed before the great wolf, dropping his head and gaze.

The wolf watched him for a moment longer before speaking directly into his mind.

“ _Crown of Galar, bound by Blood and Soul, why do you enter our sacred Weald? It is not yet time for you to join the souls that walk these mists._ ”

Leon swallowed, clearing his throat to speak, but did not look up at the wolf.

“I seek my Bonded. My Knight. ...my love.”

“ _The soul of your Bonded sleeps within the mists until the time that your own soul joins him. Return home, Crown of Galar. Let him sleep until you may both walk the paths of Death and Paradise together._ ”

Leon had expected resistance, but not a direct order. He took a moment to consider his words.

“We made a promise, tied to our Bond. Raihan fulfilled his promise to me… though I was unable to fulfill mine to him. ...not until it was nearly too late.” His strong voice wavered. “I dearly wish to be by his side again, to truly be with him, free from the shackles that I did not know I was bound by.”

The wolf considered him for a long moment.

“ _His soul returned to the Weald sooner than his appointed time,_ ” the wolf admitted. “ _What would you do to awaken him from his sleep?_ ”

Once again, Leon fell silent, mulling over his words before responding.

“I would be willing to give much of myself in order to bring Raihan back to me.”

“ _Much of yourself, and not another,_ ” she noted, then rose to her feet. “ _Come. Let us see what price you are willing to pay._ ”

She turned and led Leon along the winding pathways, and the mists closed around them once more. Panic rose within him and his hand sought the wolf, not wanting to get separated from her. Her fur was soft as silk, and she did not react to his gentle hold.

It felt like hours had passed before he suddenly stumbled, the terrain under his feet changing. He looked down to see another stone bridge, just as old, but in better repair. Leon didn’t dare question the wolf he held onto, however, and remained silent as they passed over it. The mists did not part again until they reached a clearing in the trees where bright rays of light peeked through the top of the thick forest. The golden beams danced through the air with the wind, leaving glinting flecks of light in their wake that gently fell about them like snow.

The light illuminated a stone alter, beside which sat a second wolf, her eyes an opposite blue and silver. Laying upon the altar was Raihan, his hands clasped around the hilt of a sword that rested on his chest. No longer dressed in armor, he wore simple, white breeches and tunic with a leather jerkin. His face was peaceful, and he almost looked as though he were merely sleeping, were it not for the stillness of his chest and the pale pallor to his skin.

Hope and despair rose in equal measure within Leon’s chest, and it took every bit of him to not rush right to Raihan’s side to beg him to wake up. He couldn’t help but stare at Raihan’s still form for a long time before he finally tore his eyes away to look at the two wolves.

“...what must I do?”

“ _What are you **willing** to do? What price is worth changing your Bonded’s fate?_” Both wolves watched him with bright eyes.

Leon took a shaky breath, and stole another glance toward Raihan’s form before he looked both wolves in the eyes. He spoke slowly and deliberately, with the confidence of someone who’d had to negotiate and barter for lives many times before. Despite this, he was more terrified than he’d ever been.

“I am willing to give as much of my mortal self as I can while still remaining alive and well enough to be near him in this life. I’m afraid I have little more than tears to give from my heart…” His voice grew choked, despite his best efforts. “...he carries with him the rest.”

Both wolves closed in on him, watching him carefully as they began to circle him. Their eyes glowed with an unearthly light and their fangs gleamed.

“ _You would give up your left arm?_ ”

“ _Your legs below the knee?_ ”

“ _Your eyes?_ ”

“ _Your voice?_ ”

“ _Your strength?_ ”

Leon watched them closely, but stood up straighter and didn’t back down.

“I would hesitate to give up my eyes, as the price of not seeing my sacrifice come to fruition would be great… but I would give up all others without hesitation.”

The wolves both ceased their circling and sat on either side of Raihan’s altar.

“ _Then fear not, for we do not ask for Royal Blood to be spilled for blood’s sake,_ ” the first wolf said.

“ _The first price we ask is the symbol of your bloodline, which you wear for all to see. You must sacrifice your wild mane,_ ” said her sister.

Leon blinked in surprise, taking a moment to respond.

“My hair?” he questioned, and thought about how much Raihan loved his long hair. He didn’t question further, however, not wanting to offend the wolves, and nodded firmly. “I will pay it.”

“ _We are not of the Dark, and do not demand blood in sacrifice. However, by blood was death made, and so by blood must death be undone._ ” 

“ _You must take upon yourself the wound responsible for your Bonded’s fall, so it may be removed from him._ ”

Leon nodded immediately, not having a second thought this time.

“I will take it.”

“ _The final price is a trial you must endure together,_ ” the first wolf said, again trading off with her sister.

“ _You could not find your way through this winding Weald alone._ ”

“ _You were lost without your Bonded, and now you must prove your bond._ ”

“ _You must lead him home of your own power, with no reliance on others._ ”

“ _And likewise, he must find his way back to you._ ”

Leon’s brow furrowed. This could prove to be an issue. He still got lost even within Upper Hammerlocke. But if it meant getting Raihan back…

“If I am leading him, why would he need to find his way to me?”

“ _That is the price **he** must pay,_” the second wolf said, and did not elaborate further.

Steeling himself, Leon looked the wolves in the eyes and nodded.

“I will do it.”

“ _Then, by these three sacrifices, we shall return your Bonded to you._ ”

“ _Take your sword and cut your hair, then lay it at my feet,_ ” the first wolf said, bowing her head.

Leon nodded, and carefully began braiding his long hair. The motions were familiar, but the memories they conjured were painful. He fought the urge to look over at Raihan’s still form, and squeezed his eyes shut, letting his fingers do the work. Once he was finished, he gently stroked his braid, thinking of Raihan’s smile when he played with his hair.

He unsheathed his sword, and didn’t hesitate further, slipping it under his braid and slicing upwards at the nape of his neck, cutting it clean off. The light, airy sensation of his new shorter hair distracted him slightly as he reverently lay the braid at the wolf’s feet.

The wolf touched her muzzle to the braid, and it vanished.

“ _The first price is paid._ ”

The second wolf rose to her feet and strode slowly toward Leon.

“ _Are you ready?_ ” She asked simply.

Leon squared his shoulders, swallowed audibly, then nodded.

“I am ready.”

Whatever it takes.

The first wolf touched her nose to Raihan’s cold body, and it began to glow with a pale white light. Her sister mirrored the touch to Leon’s abdomen. Though no weapon was present, Leon felt a vicious stab from behind, piercing him all the way through.

A sharp bellow of pain ripped itself from Leon’s throat, instantly dropping him to his hands and knees. His fingers gripped the mossy dirt tightly as his whole form shook. Oh _gods,_ the pain was unbearable! It burned and tore at his stomach, screaming at him so loud and silent that he could concentrate on nothing else.

He vaguely registered himself letting out several more yells of pain and many more whimpers before he finally started getting the pain under control. His breath came quickly and sharply, and he wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he heard the voices once more in his head, piercing through the agony.

“ _The second price is paid._ ”

“ _The third price, the trial has begun._ ”

Leon’s cheeks were wet, tears dripping off of his chin to join the blood beginning to gather in the dirt.

“...th-thank you,” he managed, “thank you so much.”

Both wolves turned and walked away, fading into the mists.

“ _Return home with your Bonded, young King._ ”

Up on the altar, Raihan took a breath.

A gasp escaped Leon’s lungs as he watched Raihan’s chest spring to life, and he was instantly moving, struggling toward the altar. He clutched his abdomen, thinking how awful it would be for him to bleed out now, after all this. If he could just see the light in Raihan’s eyes again… just one more time…

Raihan’s eyes blinked open sleepily, and he stared ahead at the sky above him. Slowly, his brow knitted in confusion.

Leon tried to struggle to his feet, attempting to use the altar as leverage. His hand slipped, and he collapsed upon its stone steps. It was hard to force words out through the blood beginning to rise in his mouth.

“...p-please…”

Raihan turned his head at the sound and looked at Leon with surprise.

“What? Are…You’re bleeding!” Raihan leapt off the altar and dropped to his knees beside Leon. “Gods, what happened!?”

Leon let out a soft sob of relief. He was alive. Gods, Raihan was _alive._

“...it’s… it’s kind of a long story…” he said, gagging a little around the blood starting to seep into his mouth.

“Well, no time to tell it now! Look, there’s a town over there. Let’s get you some help!”

The last of the mist faded away and the trees had thinned, revealing that they were at the edge of the forest, the little town of Postwick in clear view.

“Come on, no time to lose!” Without further ado, Raihan scooped Leon up in his arms and jogged toward the town with long, loping steps.

Leon let out a cry of pain as Raihan jostled him, but soon held fast to his tunic, letting out a broken sigh as he relaxed in Raihan’s arms. He was here, he was alive. Raihan was alive.

“That’s right, take it easy. I’ll make sure you get taken care of,” Raihan reassured him as he ran. He glanced down at him with a warm smile.

“My name is Raihan. What’s yours?”

Leon froze, going stiff in his arms.

_No…_

He felt pain from everywhere. His bleeding stomach, his tightening chest, his reeling head, and his crumbling heart. Tears once again began to course down his cheeks, though he fought his hardest against them.

Raihan had forgotten him.

“H-hey! It’s going to be alright, trust me!” Raihan said. “Just stay with me, okay? Stay with me.”

It was so good to hear his voice again, to see his face, even when it was alight with worry. The words of the wolves echoed in his mind, and he took another broken breath.

Memories or none, he still loved him. And would do anything for him.

Leon swallowed more blood and spoke, his voice far more weak than he anticipated it being.

“...I will… I’ll stay with you… Raihan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t think our heroes were out of the woods yet, did you? 
> 
> As an important note, now that we’re in the final stretch, we want to get the rough draft fully completed before we continue posting. For full disclosure, we have about 31,000 words written in Part Three: Melting Snow already, and we just need to get the last two chapters fully written before we’re comfortable going back to editing, polishing and posting. As such, we’re going to take a brief hiatus, likely no more than a couple weeks, and then it’s back to your regularly scheduled posting.
> 
> Thoughts? Questions? Encouragements? Need to scream at us for putting you through the wringer? Let us know in the comments below!


	20. Melting Snow - Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hiatus is over! We will resume our regular posting schedule until the completion of the fic. Thank you for your patience!

“Healer! I need a healer! O-or a medic or someone! Help!”

Raihan held the injured man close and felt blood seeping through his clothing. The town was very small, but even the smallest village had _someone_ who stepped forward as the local mediciner. He’d take anything if it meant saving this handsome stranger’s life. A small cry of pain came from the man in his arms as he was jostled, though he was unsettlingly quiet for a man with so grievous a wound.

“It’s going to be okay, I promise,” Raihan reassured him. “What did you say your name was?”

“L-Leon,” the man choked out, his voice thick. Tears were still slipping down his cheeks, though they were beginning to slow.

“Leon,” Raihan said, and liked how the name rolled easily off his tongue. “I’m going to get you help, Leon. Stay with me, okay? Help! Someone!”

His voice grew louder and more urgent as he reached the first little houses on the far edge of the village. The sleepy village was only just beginning to wake up with the sun, and only one yawning farmer spotted Raihan as he dashed into town. 

“O’er that way,” he said, pointing toward a pond to the east of the main part of the village. “Miss Magnolia’s who y’want!”

“Thank you!” Raihan shouted, then turned on his heel and sprinted toward the pond and the quaint little house and wide garden beside it, herbs and medicinal flowers blooming even in the snow. “Hear that, Leon? We’re almost there. How’re you doing?”

Leon swallowed heavily.

“...I… I’m…”

“Still awake! See, that’s good! You’re doing great!” Raihan flashed him a grin that he hoped was reassuring, then turned his attention to the little house. “Magnolia! Miss Magnolia!”

An old woman with half-moon glasses wearing a pale yellow dress opened the door, squinting out at them.

“What’s all this, so early in the morning?” she asked with a creaky but warm voice. She leaned on a wooden cane, the top of which was carved into the shape of a bird.

“Are you Miss Magnolia?” Raihan asked, then continued before she had a chance to answer. “Please, this man is injured! I… I don’t know how. We were in the woods…” 

Her eyebrows raised significantly.

“In the woods?” The woman glanced at Leon, and her expression became even more alarmed. She quickly stepped aside to let them into the house. “I am Magnolia, and I will do my best to treat him.”

The smell hit Raihan like a ton of bricks the moment he crossed the threshold. The house was absolutely filled with plants, growing in pots and boxes, hanging from the ceiling to dry, or organized neatly in rows of glass jars on shelves, all of which had strong, conflicting odors. Wide windows letting in copious amounts of sunlight were on every wall, and there were bottles and jars on nearly every surface with various substances, both dried and liquid.

Magnolia led them to a simple bed in a section of her house that had just as much medical equipment as it did gardening tools.

“Lay him here.”

Raihan obediently laid him down, blood staining the front of his tunic after holding Leon so close to him.

“Can you help him?”

“I think so,” Magnolia answered, and toddled toward a cupboard on the far side of the room that had a lock on it. She set about opening it, and glanced back toward Raihan.

“Came from the wood, you said? What on earth were you doing in there?”

“I…” Raihan trailed off with a frown. He remembered waking up and finding Leon, but wasn’t quite sure how he came to be in the forest or what he was doing there. “I don’t know.” 

“...hm.” Magnolia’s eyes trailed over to meet Leon’s, though he looked away quickly, staring at the mess of blood he was making on the bed.

“I see,” she finally answered, and opened up the cupboard. “I’ll do my best to help.”

On the backside of the cupboard was a stained-glass window with light pouring through it. Sitting on the shelf of the cupboard were three small potted plants, and Magnolia removed one of them, carefully closing up the cupboard behind her.

“Try and stem his bleeding, sonny,” she said, taking the plant over to a work bench. “I need to quickly make a potion and a salve, and it won’t do for him to bleed out in the meantime.”

Raihan shook off his confusion. 

“Of course,” He gave Leon an apologetic grin, though worry shone in his eyes. “Sorry. This is going to hurt.”

He bundled up Leon’s own tattered shirt and put pressure on his wound.

Leon let out a loud grunt, searching for something to hold onto as he writhed in pain. No word of complaint passed his lips, however, and he shut his eyes tight as he breathed intently through his nose. 

“You’re tough as nails,” Raihan said, admittedly impressed. “This has to be excruciatingly painful.”

“It… it hurt the most when it first happened,” Leon said through gritted teeth. His gaze was still downward, and his hands clenched into fists on the simple bed.

“Were you attacked?” Raihan asked. “Brigands in the woods?”

Leon hesitated. For far too long. Interesting.

“...s-something like that.”

“Well, we’ll get you fixed up, handsome,” Raihan reassured anyway, though he watched Leon with a closer eye.

“Move aside, sonny,” Magnolia ordered, bustling over to them. “And get me access to his wound so I can put this on it.”

With an apology to Leon, Raihan ripped his shirt open, exposing the bloody mess that was his torso. Raihan grimaced. Leon had been run through, but despite the blood, the wound looked like it had been made by a sharp, clean blow.

Magnolia quickly set about cleaning the front of his wound, and Leon grunted more acutely in pain. Raihan gently took Leon’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“...th...thank you,” he said quietly, holding Raihan’s hand tighter.

He gripped Raihan’s hand like a vice, once again breathing more quickly as Magnolia dripped several drops of the potion into Leon's open wound. The potion hissed as it made contact with his flesh, and Leon finally let out a sharp cry. He quieted quickly, however, and only held more intently to Raihan's hand.

Raihan gave him an encouraging smile, and didn’t mind the tight grip or the blood on both their hands.

“It’s alright, I’m right here. You’re going to be just fine,” Raihan said, and really hoped it was true.

Magnolia inspected Leon's wound closely, then applied a salve to the front of his wound. She spread it around the outer edge of the clean puncture, then stepped back.

“Flip him over, I need to get to the other side of his wound.”

“Okay, Leon. I’m going to roll you onto your left side. Ready?”

Leon let out a breath, then nodded.

“On three. One… two… and three,” Raihan carefully rolled Leon onto his front and stripped the remains of his shirt off him. Leon let out a more substantial noise of pain, shivering a few times before he stilled. Magnolia’s hands were quick, and she soon had him cleaned off and was applying the mysterious potion and salve onto the other side of his wound.

Raihan took Leon’s hand again and gave him a reassuring squeeze, but his eyes watched Magnolia work. The salve itself was rather disgusting-looking, a muddy brown with a pulpy texture, with small hints of purple mixed in it. As Raihan watched, the wound on Leon’s back began to slowly but steadily close over. Raihan gasped, staring as tissue healed and reformed right before his eyes.

“Are you a witch?” he asked, not with fear, but with awed respect.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Magnolia replied, watching the wound close over further before she stepped back. “Wounds made within those woods act differently than most. When you’ve lived around here as long as I have, you pick up a few things.”

Leon’s breathing began to slow, and his grip on Raihan’s hand wasn’t quite so harsh as Magnolia bustled over to her work table again.

“Bandage his wound, please,” she said as she started putting the whole salve mixture into a small jar.

“Yes, ma’am,” Raihan said. 

He helped Leon sit up and set about dressing Leon’s wound. Now that Leon wasn’t dying and covered in blood, Raihan found it difficult to keep his gaze from lingering on his broad, muscled chest and thick arms. 

“Where are we, by the way?” Raihan asked, half to learn the answer and half to distract himself from the way Leon’s thick torso flexed as he bandaged him. It was a moment before Magnolia answered, and Leon’s hands gripped the bed beneath him, grimacing as Raihan tightly bound his wound with bandages.

“Postwick,” Magnolia finally answered, putting the last of the salve into a jar.

“Oh,” Raihan said, though that did nothing to answer his question, as he’d never even heard of the town. “Thank you, Lady Magnolia.”

Magnolia let out a barking laugh, toddling back toward them.

“I’m no Lady… and you don’t need to butter me up, sonny.”

Leon let out a long breath as Raihan finished bandaging his wound, and turned his gaze toward Magnolia. She pressed the small jar into his hands.

“Continue applying this, and your wound should heal up within a few weeks.”

“Thank you so much, Miss Magnolia,” Leon said respectfully.

She chuckled again, tapping his shins with her cane. 

“Flattery doesn’t suit either of you boys.”

“Er…right, sorry. What do we owe you?” Raihan asked, sure that being indebted to a witch would be asking for trouble. 

“No charge this time,” Magnolia said, starting to carefully move the potted plant back into its locked cupboard. “Though I’d best not see you through here a second time.”

“Are you certain?” Leon asked, his brow furrowed as he gingerly moved his legs over the side of the bed.

“Yes,” Magnolia said firmly. “I’d fear the bad luck that would befall my house should I ask anything of you for this transaction.”

Raihan gave her a startled look.

“Oh… uh… thank you, then,” he said, and helped Leon carefully to his feet. Leon accepted the help with a grateful nod, and wobbled a bit once he was on his feet.

Raihan shot him a grin.

“See? What did I tell you? You’ll be right as rain in no time.”

“Thank you,” Leon said quietly, gathering up his small pack that had been discarded near the bed.

“Are you boys just passing through, then?” Magnolia asked as she locked the small cupboard up and turned back toward them.

“Us? We’re… I’m…” 

Raihan frowned, once again not sure how he’d ended up on the edge of the forest or what he was doing there. He looked down at himself and was surprised to find he only had the clothes on his back and the sword on his belt. He didn’t even have a cloak. What was he doing in the middle of nowhere in the dead of winter without even a cloak for warmth? Leon looked no better. With the wound, he’d lost his shirt, and stood in his bloodied breeches with only a small pack.

At least had a damned cloak.

“I guess so,” he finally said. “Can you tell us where we could get some supplies?”

“Just down the road to the north of the pond is the general store. It’s restock day, so you’re in luck.” Her sea green eyes twinkled behind her glasses. “You should be able to find everything you need there.”

“Thank you, Magnolia,” Leon said, moving to drape the cloak over his bare shoulders, and he wobbled on his feet again, more dangerously this time.

“Hey, hey!” Raihan moved quickly to support him. “Don’t push yourself, okay? Can you walk?”

Leon leaned into his touch, steadying himself against Raihan.

“I… I think so. Though my legs are far weaker than I’d like…”

“Maybe you can rest in this town for a while,” Raihan said, guiding him to the door. “I grew up in a village smaller than this one, and even we had an inn.”

A tiny bit of relief found Leon’s serious face, and he nodded.

“Perhaps that’s best. Though I’d like to get on the road as soon as possible.”

“Yeah? Where are you headed?” Raihan asked.

“The capital city, Hammerlocke,” Leon replied. He paused to take a breath in the doorway of Magnolia’s house, half glancing back toward her. “...thank you again, Magnolia.”

“You’re welcome, Leon,” came her warm reply as she bustled about to clean up the mess Leon had left behind.

The door closed behind them, and Raihan helped Leon along the road. Snow sparkled in the morning light, glittering on the branches like diamonds and blanketing the sloping hills in a smooth wave of white. The only indication that there even was a road to follow was the slight indentation of the snow, suggesting a flat path. The only footprints to be seen were their own as they approached the awakening village.

Raihan shivered. If he was cold, he couldn’t imagine how Leon must feel.

“C’mon, let’s get you a shirt. Hammerlocke, huh? I’ve been to Hammerlocke. I…” Raihan’s voice trailed off and he slowed, then came to a stop.

He could clearly see the distinct skyline of Hammerlocke in his mind, the high walls and the castle towers, perched atop a hill overlooking the city. He had flashes of busy streets, of vendors hawking their wares in the marketplace, but that’s all they were: brief flashes of memory, nothing concrete.

“I… live there?”

Raihan frowned. Did he live in Hammerlocke? And if not, where _did_ he live? He spent years living in garrisons with the militia, but… where did he live right _now?_ Where was he stationed? The answers eluded him, and Raihan’s face grew more and more worried.

“Why… why don’t I know? Why don’t I remember? What’s going on?” he asked, fear leaking into his voice.

Leon paused on the snowy path, and looked over at Raihan with a complex, serious gaze. His voice was quiet, accentuated by the silence of the new snow all around them.

“...a lot happened in those woods. You were… you were incapacitated… and it seems as though in the process, you’ve lost some of your memory.”

“My memory?” Raihan looked down at him. “You were with me. Do… do I know you?”

Leon’s gold eyes searched Raihan’s for a moment, and he nodded.

“Yes.”

Raihan took a step back and examined him carefully. He saw an attractive man about his own age, a little on the shorter side, with a broad, muscular chest and an athletic build. He had short purple hair (Purple! How strange!), and a neatly trimmed beard, also purple, but so dark it was easily mistaken for black. He wore a stern expression and his piercing gold eyes bore into Raihan, but none of it sparked any memory.

Raihan shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember you at all. I don’t remember the woods, I don’t remember this town… the last thing I remember is…”

He frowned and concentrated. He obviously still _had_ memories. What’s the most recent one? What did he remember? There had to be something he— 

_Black storm clouds in the sky, hiding a full moon, an unholy SCREECH—_

A bolt of agony shot through Raihan’s head like lightning. He gasped and dropped to his knees, fingers clutching at his head. Leon’s firm grip wrapped around one of Raihan’s shoulders, his tone urgent.

“Raihan? What’s wrong?!”

“My… my head… but… I can almost… remember…” 

_A flash of lightning, blood on snow and stone—_

Another lance of pain tore through him, like someone was driving a spike of hot iron through the center of his forehead. He cried out in pain and doubled over in the snow. Leon grabbed his shoulders, now kneeling in front of him. Raihan tried to look up at him, but his vision had gone blurry, darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision.

“Stop!! Don’t force it! Let them go!” Leon shouted.

Raihan trembled all over.

“I… I c-can’t remember…”

“Take it easy,” Leon said firmly, “please… don’t strain yourself...”

Raihan nodded shakily in agreement. The pain eased the moment he let go of what shreds of memory he held, and his vision cleared.

“Y-yeah… might be for the best…” He shakily rose to his feet and brushed the snow off his pants. “ _Gods_ , I’m freezing.”

“Yes, it’s quite cold,” Leon said, watching Raihan closely as he got back up. “A warm inn sounds lovely right now…”

“You said it. You have an extra shirt in that pack of yours?”

“I do have an extra tunic,” Leon said, looking away, “but it doesn’t quite fit properly… so I’ll have to get a new shirt at the shop.” He looked down at himself. “And some new pants, too, it seems… the blood is certainly beginning to stain these ones…”

Raihan grimaced. 

“Yeah, it is. C’mon. Let’s grab some essentials from the market then find an inn. Then we can sit down, get some food, and get our bearings.”

Leon nodded firmly. “That’s a good plan. Now ah, where did she say the market was?...” He paused as they reached a slight fork in the road. His brow furrowed deeply and he considered both paths very intently.

“Just north of the pond,” Raihan said, and gestured to the left path. “This way.”

“Ah, thank you,” Leon said, and turned in the direction Raihan pointed. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his brow furrowed, obviously deep in thought.

Raihan had quite a lot on his own mind. What the hell happened to knock his memory out like that? A blow to the head? Apart from the strange pain when he tried to remember, he felt completely fine. So why was Leon injured and not himself? He looked at Leon’s bandaged torso and considered his own sword on his hip.

Did _Raihan_ injure Leon and then forget the fight? Was it possible he was being led into a trap by an enemy? 

With one quick glance to make sure Leon was still deep in thought, Raihan hung back a few steps and half-drew his sword. The blade was clean. Gods, not that he’d ever sheathe a dirtied blade. Still, even if he’d hastily cleaned it, there would still be some residual blood. He relaxed with the confirmation that he hadn’t been the one to injure Leon. With no other leads, he followed Leon into the little marketplace.

Leon glanced once at Raihan as they entered the small square, but said nothing. He led the way into the marketplace, and though it took a bit of wandering, they were soon at the general store. Before Leon could enter, Raihan stopped him with a touch to his bare arm.

“Hey, so… I, uh… I don’t have any money,” Raihan said. “I know we just— well, I guess we _haven’t_ just met, but it feels like it. Could you spot me enough for a cloak?”

“Of course,” Leon said without hesitation, placing the hood of the cloak up over his head. “I should have enough to get us both some clothes.”

“Thanks,” Raihan grinned. “I appreciate it.” 

Their bloodied appearance caused quite a stir in the little store, but after some reassurances that all was well and they’d already been to see Miss Magnolia, the shopkeeper was more than happy to take their coin. Leon purchased two sets of clothing each for the both of them, and a hat for himself. The clothes weren’t much to look at, simple utilitarian browns meant for working in the fields, but the wool was soft and warm, and Raihan was grateful for it. The shopkeeper gave them directions to the only inn in town and sent them on their way. 

“Ah, I feel better already,” Raihan sighed and pulled his cloak tighter around him. “Bet you feel better, too, now that you’re not parading around with your tits out.”

Leon was affixing his hat, tucking his short purple hair into it as best he could, and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.

“Well… your brash language aside, it _is_ very cold without a shirt… so yes, I am glad to have new shirts.”

“Brash language?” Raihan echoed, and an amused smile found his face. “What, ‘tits out’ is brash to you? Guess you haven’t seen me on a bad day.”

Leon raised an eyebrow at him. “And what might you have said instead, were this a bad day?”

Raihan grinned wider, then gave him a long, colorful, and quite explicit alternative. Leon’s eyes widened a little, his blush deepened and he looked away, clearly embarrassed.

“Hm. Perhaps I _haven’t_ seen you on a bad day.”

Raihan laughed brightly, and led Leon to the inn. He set about making arrangements for their room, given the tiny inn only had a singular room to rent, then ordered two hot bowls of porridge for breakfast. They elected to take their meal in their room, allowing them some measure of privacy. 

“How are you feeling, Leon? Need to lay down?” Raihan asked once they were alone.

“I think I’m all right for now,” Leon said, taking a careful seat on the only bed in the room. He just as carefully began to eat his porridge, and though his hands were shaky, he managed.

Raihan watched him carefully, but didn’t offer to help if Leon didn’t want it. Even though the porridge was a little bland, Raihan ate his own breakfast quickly, absolutely ravenous. He polished off his own bowl before Leon was halfway done, and leaned back in the little wooden chair. 

“So. We know each other, huh?”

Leon’s hand slowed, and he looked up at Raihan with that intense, complex expression.

“Yes… we do.” He frowned slightly. “...after what happened earlier… I hesitate to strain your mind… what do you remember easily?”

Raihan folded his arms and frowned as he thought.

“I'm a soldier. I spent years in the militia, started as infantry, worked my way up to an officer. Before that, I lived in the little farming town Clearfield. I grew up poor and became a soldier because I didn't really have anything else I could do,” Raihan said. “I know I’m an excellent fighter. I’m _very_ good.”

Leon nodded firmly.

“From what I’ve seen, that is correct. You are incredibly skilled.”

“You’ve seen me fight?” Raihan asked, raising his eyebrows. He again considered Leon’s wound, and his eyes fell to the sword at Leon’s side. “Have we fought each other?”

Leon shook his head, something threatening but not quite breaking through the ice in his expression.

“No… not really. You had recently been challenging anyone within hearing range to spar with you, and I took you up on it… but it was hardly a fair match.”

“Ah,” Raihan said, nodding with understanding. “Are you a new recruit, then?”

Finally something akin to amusement bubbled up in Leon’s eyes.

“No.”

“Really? Damn, thought I had it. It would certainly explain why you’re so stiff around a superior officer and why you were shocked by something as mild as ‘tits out.’ If you’re not that, then who are you?”

Leon’s eyes trailed away.

“...we received martial training, though we hadn’t begun working alongside one another until about a year ago.” He looked back at Raihan, that sliver of amusement still in his eyes. “Rest assured, you were not at your best for our duel, so it’s hardly a good point of reference.”

“Wait, I _lost?_ ” Raihan sat up straight in the chair.

“In a matter of speaking,” Leon responded just as cryptically.

“Someone who can take me on in a duel…” Raihan ran a hand through his hair and let out a sound of frustration. “Who _are_ you, Leon? Where the hell are we? Postwick? I couldn’t tell you where that is on a map if you put a knife to my throat! How did we get here? How were you injured? Why are my memories gone? What _happened?_ ”

Leon let out a broken sigh, and he suddenly looked very tired.

“...it’s a long story,” he said with a distant gaze. “I wish I could tell it to you, from beginning to end, but… if you end up in severe pain when you try to remember… I’d rather not push you to.”

Raihan chewed on his lower lip. 

“If I end up on the ground just for trying to remember where I was last night, you’re worried that outright telling me will be… worse.”

Leon nodded slowly.

Raihan thought it over and finally nodded.

“It would be a hell of a risk to find out.”

Leon’s voice was soft. “...yes. I agree.” He swallowed and looked down at his porridge. “Well, you haven’t lost memories of everything, at least… you seem to remember your time in the military well enough…”

“Yeah,” Raihan said. “I mean, I think I do. How would I know, right?”

He gave Leon a weak smile. Leon’s brow furrowed, and he played a bit with the porridge.

“You also mentioned your hometown… perhaps it’s only more recent memories that have been lost?”

“Maybe. Probably, actually. You said we’ve been working together for a year? I don’t remember you at all, but I’ve got pretty clear memories of being a soldier. So that’s got to mean something, right?”

“I’d say so.” Leon audibly swallowed again, and looked up at him. “I can’t imagine what you must be feeling… to have lost so many memories of your life…”

“It’s, uh…” Raihan’s smile became more strained. “It’s a lot, yeah. I’d even say it’s hard to believe, were it not for the fact that I can _feel_ something’s missing. I…”

His smile finally fell and he looked up at Leon, showing him the fear and vulnerability that he felt. 

“I don’t really know what to do.”

Leon’s golden eyes searched his, and he leaned forward just slightly.

“Come with me to Hammerlocke.”

A beat passed before he broke eye contact, staring at a point on the wall adjacent to Raihan.

“After all, you said that you lived there, earlier… and that’s where I live. Perhaps you could… if you don’t mind travelling with an injured man…”

Raihan’s small smile returned.

“What kind of a person would I be if I let an injured man trek all the way to Hammerlocke alone?”

The corner of Leon’s lips twitched slightly and he met Raihan’s eyes again.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. And perhaps if you tread some familiar ground…”

“Maybe I’ll remember something,” Raihan finished. “It’s a deal.”

Leon nodded. “Hopefully I don’t slow you down _too_ much.”

“It’s not like we’re in any hurry,” Raihan said. “How long of a journey should it be? Like I said, I have no idea where we are.”

“Hm…” Leon took a moment to think. “If we are able to secure some horses, I’d wager about two weeks.”

“Sounds good,” Raihan got to his feet. “If you want to give me some coin, I can go get us supplies for the journey while you rest.”

“Ah, perhaps that would be best,” Leon admitted, still playing with his porridge.

“You take it easy,” Raihan said. “I’ll get us ready to go, and we’ll head out tomorrow morning. Unless you need more time to rest, of course. That’s a hell of an injury. If you’d rather stay a few more days…” 

“No,” Leon said curtly, then relaxed, “no… I’d rather get moving. Even if it’s slowly.”

“If you’re sure,” Raihan shrugged. “Just don’t want you to overdo it.”

Leon shook his head and held out his money pouch toward Raihan. 

“I’ll be mindful. This amount won’t be nearly enough to get us the whole way, but it will give us a good start.”

Raihan glanced in the pouch and nodded in agreement.

“Rations, camping gear, first aid supplies? Any requests while I’m out?”

“Ah yes, actually,” Leon said, “I need some parchment and something to write with. Enough for several letters, if they have that much.”

“Letters?” Raihan raised his eyebrows, then shrugged. “I’ll see what they have.”

“Thank you,” Leon said with a nod. “I appreciate it.”

Raihan gave him a brief wave, then slipped out the door. He took his time getting supplies, taking care to be judicious with Leon’s money, and returned in the early afternoon with two well-stocked packs.

“Well, it took longer than I expected, but I think we’re set,” he said as he entered the room. “I even got a decent stack of parchment, but the only ink they had was…oh.” 

Leon lay sprawled on the bed in the room, fast asleep.

Raihan stopped, then gave him a smile. He set the packs down and moved to the bedside. Gods, he really was gorgeous. That strong jaw and regal profile was to die for. Raihan gently tucked the blankets in around him and gently touched his hand.

“Get some rest,” he said softly, even though Leon couldn’t hear. 

With nothing else to distract him, he finished getting their supplies ready to head out in the morning. He spent the night on a bedroll on the floor, alone with his own thoughts.

* * *

The light streaming in through the window crawled slowly across Raihan’s sleeping form until it struck him right in the eyes. He groaned and threw an arm over his face in an attempt to stave off the inevitable, but there was no going back to sleep now that he was awake. He sat up and rubbed his face. Judging by the light coming in from outside, he’d overslept. With a sigh, he rose to his feet and started getting ready for the day.

Leon slept fitfully in the bed, constantly shifting about and whimpering softly. His brow was deeply furrowed and his hands twitched constantly.

“Leon?” Raihan asked. “Hey, Leon, wake up…” 

He whimpered more loudly, curling up around the pillow that was meant for his head. His shirt had ridden up in his fitful sleep, showing that he had nearly bled through the bandages on his wound.

“Oh, hell… Wake up, Leon!” Raihan gently took him by the shoulder and gave him a shake.

Leon let out a fearful cry, pulling away from his touch, and the cry quickly turned to one of pain. Almost instantly, he was awake, hissing in pain and trembling, though his eyes remained squeezed shut.

“Hey, hey! It’s okay, take it easy!” He hovered at the bedside anxiously, worried that Leon would injure himself further. “Leon, can you hear me?”

Leon let out a quiet gasp, and clutched the pillow tighter.

“R… Raihan?...” His voice was soft and tentative, a far cry from its usual firm tone.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Raihan took his hand, “I’m right here.”

Leon relaxed and stopped shivering at Raihan’s touch, holding tight to his hand.

“Y-you’re really—?” Leon asked groggily. He slowly opened his eyes to look up at Raihan. As he woke up fully, Leon’s expression became as unreadable as ever, and he stared up at Raihan in silence for a moment.

“You, uh…” Raihan shifted uncomfortably as Leon started at him for a moment too long. “You’ve bled through your bandages. We need to get you changed and taken care of.” 

“Yes, of course,” Leon said quietly, his voice still thick with sleep.

Leon slowly sat up, grunting as he jostled his wound too much.

“Easy, easy…” Raihan gently helped him sit up. “Don’t push yourself. Good morning, by the way. Are you _sure_ you want to head out today?”

“I’m sure,” Leon said without hesitation, fumbling through his nearby pack with shaky hands. Soon he produced the salve and extra bandages, looking intent on redressing things himself.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Raihan said and sat on the edge of the bed. “Let me help.”

Without waiting for Leon to argue, Raihan gently removed the soiled dressings and tossed them aside. Leon looked a bit startled, but didn’t fight his help. He fell still as the bandages were peeled away, letting Raihan work.

“...thank you,” he finally said quietly.

“You’re welcome. Oh, wow. Whatever Magnolia did sure is working. I mean, it’s still a mess, but this looks like you were impaled a week ago, not yesterday morning,” Raihan said, gently cleaning him up and working the salve into his wound.

Leon winced, but looked down at his wound and nodded slowly.

“Truly incredible… she seemed no stranger to such things.”

Raihan nodded and set the jar of salve aside.

“Alright, now hold still. And let me know if they’re too tight, okay?” Raihan gently dressed his wound, deftly bandaging his torso with quick, practiced hands. Leon grunted a bit as Raihan worked, but didn’t complain. He did reach down to grip the bedsheets again, and let out a sigh as Raihan finished up, a frown on his face.

“It is frustrating to not be able to do simple things,” Leon muttered, looking at the salve jar.

“I know. And it’s also infuriating to let someone else take care of you,” Raihan said as he put the supplies back in the pack. “But it doesn’t make you weak.”

“Thank you,” Leon said quietly, and very carefully started to put his shirt on again. “I… I don’t mean to pry, but… you carry many scars. Do you remember being put out by any of them?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Raihan gestured to the scar across his cheek. “This one was pretty bad. Had a big gaping hole in the side of my face, which wasn’t too bad once it was stitched up, but it became infected and I took to fevers. The infection is part of why it scarred so badly. Thank the gods for the herbalist in that village.”

He finished packing the first aid supplies away and rose to his feet. 

“This scar was the worst, though,” Raihan pulled his sleeve up and pointed out a faint scar on his arm, smaller than a fingernail and almost invisible against his skin.

Leon looked confused, one of his hands twitching before he looked up at Raihan.

“Why was that one the worst?”

“Oh, it doesn’t look like much. The creature that got me was only a baby, after all. But the poison…” he trailed off.

Leon’s eyebrows rose. “A poisonous baby creature?”

“Yeah. It was lost and wandered into our camp. I was going to try and return it to where it came from, but I spooked it. The poison laid me out almost right away, and I was out cold for three days. I was shaky and weak for a long while after that, and needed help doing even the simplest things.”

“That sounds awful…” Leon’s brow furrowed again. “...and the creature… was it safe, in the end?”

Raihan fell silent for a moment.

“...No. They killed it when I went down.”

Pain entered Leon’s expression, and his shoulders drooped.

“How awful…”

“Sometimes I think that if I’d just been more careful… If I’d approached it slower, or put some gauntlets on to be safe…” 

Leon leaned forward, resting a hand on his arm.

“I’m sure you did the best you could.”

Raihan looked at the hand on his arm, then back up to Leon. Regret and old memories shifted to gratitude, and he gave Leon a small smile.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Leon replied, and started to very slowly get up off the bed. “Well, should we start getting ready to leave?”

“Yep. We’ve already slept in later than I planned. I like getting an early start. Not that I have any idea which direction to go,” Raihan said.

“North,” Leon said confidently, “Hammerlocke is north from Postwick. Though we’ll be passing through Turffield and Motostoke on our way there.”

“Turffield’s a whole bunch of little farming towns, right?” Raihan asked, slinging the heaviest pack over his shoulders. “That’ll be nice. We might be able to hit a town every night, instead of camping on the ground. Though don’t be afraid to say something if you need to stop and make camp earlier. It’s better to move slow and heal fast than move fast and heal slow.”

Leon sighed, slipping his small pack over one shoulder, and very carefully stuffed as much of his hair beneath his hat as he could.

“I will endeavor to follow your advice,” he said, moving toward the door.

“What a pair we make,” Raihan grinned and followed him out the door. “An invalid and an amnesiac. Guess we better watch each other’s backs.”

“Indeed,” Leon said, a slightly distant look on his face. “I guess we should.”

Raihan gave him a sideways glance, wondering what was going through Leon’s head. Who was this man? Someone who could go toe-to-toe with him in combat, balked at foul language, and didn’t bat an eye at being apparently stabbed through the gut. Also, he was drop-dead gorgeous. 

Raihan gave him one more look before they stepped out on the road. He’d piece this puzzle together.

Eventually.


	21. Melting Snow - Chapter 3

The next few days passed uneventfully. As anticipated, the many little towns and villages scattered through Turffield’s farmland were conveniently placed so they managed to have shelter each night, instead of camping out in the snow. Even so, Raihan was glad they’d stocked up on winter gear. He wasn’t a fan of the cold, and the extra layers made all the difference. 

As the days passed and he had time to think, Raihan found more and more gaps in his memory. The entire last year seemed to be gone, but he was frustrated to find that he also couldn’t recall parts of his adolescence and childhood. He’d first noticed it when he failed to recall his favorite wintertime games and who he’d played with as a child. Just like in Postwick, whenever he tried to focus too hard on those blank gaps, he was rewarded with a splitting headache and started to black out if he pushed the issue. At last he resigned himself to the fact that he’d have to wait for the memories to return.

 _If_ they returned.

As for his traveling companion, Raihan was growing more comfortable with Leon. In the few days he’d known him, he’d come to three conclusions. One: Leon wasn’t bluffing when he said he knew how to use a sword. Leon hadn’t done more than pull the blade out to clean and sharpen it, but the practiced ease of which he handled the blade told Raihan all he needed to know. Two: despite Leon’s initial demeanor, he wasn’t unkind or uncaring, just quiet and stoic. He kept his thoughts and feelings close to his chest, but Raihan was already getting good at catching little glimpses of emotion that slipped through his guarded mask.

The third conclusion Raihan had made was that Leon was undoubtedly the most attractive man he’d ever had the pleasure of traveling with. He wanted to grab that firm ass with both hands, run his tongue along that strong jawline, and bury his face in Leon’s muscular tits. Hell, even his voice was gorgeous, deep and rich. When Leon took charge of a situation, even when it was just requesting a room from an inn, his voice sometimes took on a powerful commanding tone that made Raihan’s knees go weak, and he dreamed of Leon ordering _him_ around in a much more private and explicit context.

Raihan kept his fantasies quiet, especially given that he didn’t know the nature of their relationship before he lost his memories, and Leon wasn’t giving any hints.

They reached Greenbury just before nightfall. Even though Greenbury was the capital of Turffield, it was little more than a large town, keeping true to the quaint, rural nature prevalent throughout the entire province. Nevertheless, it was with relief that Raihan and Leon entered the inn.

“Oh, praise the gods,” Raihan sighed and pulled back the hood of his cloak. “Out of the cold and into the firelight.”

“Mmhm,” Leon agreed, adjusting his hat again as they went inside, brushing the snow off of his broad shoulders. “It will be nice to warm up a while.”

“I’m starving. Let’s get some food before we do anything else,” Raihan said, leading them over to a table and slinging off his pack.

Leon’s eyes scanned the room as he followed Raihan to the table.

“It isn’t terribly busy here, so we should have no trouble reserving a room after we eat,” he observed.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Raihan waved down a serving girl, who looked none-too-pleased with being “waved down” and strode over to their table.

“Stew for three copper or mutton and potatoes for a half silver,” she droned, skipping pleasantries and getting right down to business. “Another copper if you want a drink. Beer and mead is all we’ve got, so don’t bother asking for anything fancy.”

“Ah…mutton and mead,” Raihan said.

“I’ll have a beer and mutton,” Leon said politely, “thank you.”

She bustled off without another word.

“How are we doing on funds, by the way?” Raihan asked.

“We’re still doing all right, for now,” Leon replied, “though we’re likely going to have to start taking some odd jobs once we reach Motostoke.”

“That’s a good idea. Motostoke’s big, there will be lots of work there.”

A different server walked past, a bowl of stew in one hand and a small pastry in the other.

“Hey, excuse me,” Raihan said, pointing at the pastry. “What’s that?”

“Oh, this? It’s a berry tart! We don’t usually carry sweets, but the innkeeper’s daughter Maisy got married yesterday, and we’ve got plenty left over! Would you like one?”

“We’ll take two. Actually, better make it three,” Raihan grinned and elbowed Leon gently in the ribs, mindful of his injury. “They’re Leon’s favorite!”

“Of course!” she said and hurried away.

Leon’s expression was overtaken by surprise, and it took him a moment to find his voice.

“Raihan… you…”

“What?” Raihan stared at him for a moment before it clicked. “How did I know that?!”

“You… you knew that… before you lost your memory.” Leon looked away, his dark brows furrowed.

Raihan’s eyes searched him, trying to decipher that unreadable expression before he gave up. A beat passed, and then a grin split his face.

“Do you know what this means?” Raihan asked brightly.

Leon looked back at him, slightly startled, and his tense expression eased as he took in Raihan’s cheery expression.

“What does it mean?”

Raihan tapped the side of his head.

“Everything's still in here. It's not gone. If I can remember one thing, then who's to say I can't remember more?”

Leon’s eyes widened slightly, then his lips twitched, inching closer toward a smile.

“You’re right. That’s a very good sign.”

An odd little surge of triumph rose in Raihan’s chest at the sight of Leon’s almost-smile, and he grinned wider. They were interrupted by the first server, delivering their food and drinks, along with three warm tarts. Their conversation was sparse as they ate, briefly discussing what they might find in Motostoke. Raihan finished up his plate, then looked over at Leon and laughed. He’d gotten some of the red tart filling on his cheek. 

“Leon, c’mere. You’ve got…” Raihan leaned over and wiped the berry off his cheek with a thumb. 

Leon startled at Raihan’s touch, but didn’t pull away.

“A-ah, thank you… and thank you for ordering the tarts, they were quite enjoyable.”

“Yes, they were,” Raihan said, amused. “I see you enjoyed yours immensely.”

A slight flush found Leon's cheeks as he watched Raihan lick the tart filling off of his thumb, an amount of embarrassment in his expression.

“Did you enjoy yours?”

“Of course I did! It was the best thing here!” His smile faded, replaced by a pained, distant look. “It’s strange, though… I grew up eating whatever I could to survive, scraps of food from the inn and forage from the forest. Then I spent ten years eating whatever dirt the militia fed us. But I’ve somehow developed a… picky pallet? The tart was delightful, but this mutton…”

Raihan gestured vaguely, and though his plate was empty, he poked at it despondently. 

“I should be grateful for food. When did I get so spoiled?” 

Leon considered him for a moment, still working on his own mutton, though he was nearly finished with it.

“You _have_ been living in the capital a while… perhaps being around better food has changed your palette?”

“That must be it. I guess I’ve been living well in Hammerlocke. Oh! Speaking off,” Raihan waved down another server. “We’d like rooms for the night, please!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, juggling several dirty plates, “we’ve only got one room left with a single bed.”

“We’ll take it,” Raihan said, not blinking an eye.

“I’ll go let the inkeep know,” she replied, “what name should I put it under?”

“Raihan,” he replied. 

“I’ll put your name in,” she said, and bustled off.

He smiled at her and hid his disappointment. He’d been hoping to sleep in a bed for once, but resigned himself to another night on the ground. Raihan leaned back and finished off his mead. 

“What do you say to turning in?” he asked, then shot Leon a teasing look. “Unless you want another tart.”

A faint flush again found Leon’s cheeks, and he shook his head.

“No, that’s quite enough.” His tone got a bit more dry as he continued. “Wouldn’t do to get too spoiled, would it?”

“I suppose getting fat and full doesn't do well when we still have a long journey ahead,” Raihan said, his grin only growing wider.

“Hm, I suppose not,” Leon said as he stood up, gathering up their things. He anxiously tugged on his hat, like he was prone to doing when there were a lot of other people around.

Raihan had never seen someone with purple hair before, and figured he was self-conscious about it, given how much care he took to hide it. Raihan never mentioned it, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He got the room key from the innkeeper while Leon gathered up his things, and then led the way to their room. He dropped his pack on the ground and pulled out his bedroll. Leon glanced at him as he set his things down in one corner, pulling some parchment and his quill and ink out of his pack.

“If you’d like the bed tonight, I can sleep on the floor,” he said quietly.

“No,” Raihan said without hesitation, “you’re still injured. You need the bed.”

Magnolia’s salve ensured that Leon’s wound healed much faster than a normal injury, but he wasn’t yet fully healed, and Raihan wasn’t about to take any chances.

“I feel awful having made you sleep on the floor the last few days,” Leon admitted, pulling the chair out at the small desk in the room and carefully sitting in it. He hesitated before continuing. “The bed is certainly large enough for two… if you do not think it awkward…”

Raihan considered for a moment. He’d certainly shared cots with soldiers in the past, dead-tired and grateful for even a cheap mattress beneath them. 

“Only if you don’t mind,” Raihan said, and started rolling up the bedroll.

“I don’t mind,” Leon said, “though I apologize in advance if my nightmares disturb you.”

“You have them that often?” Raihan asked.

“Nearly every night,” Leon confirmed, “it… it used to be worse… but they still persist. So I hope that I will not disturb you.”

Raihan’s heart clenched and his gut churned. A complex well of worry and concern rose within him, abrupting _hating_ that Leon had nightmares, but was bewildered as to why he felt so strongly about it.

“Ah… well… thanks for the warning,” he said as he tried to parse out his own emotions.

“Of course,” Leon replied, then turned to the desk.

He began writing a letter, his hand very sure with the quill and ink, and his handwriting immaculate. 

Raihan removed his sword belt and set it aside, then sat on the edge of the bed. His hands fidgeted, feeling antsy with nothing to do.

“What are you writing?” he finally asked.

“A letter to my brother,” Leon said, some warmth entering his voice. “I don’t want him to worry about me.”

“You have a brother? What’s he like?” Raihan asked, perking up with interest.

Leon’s hand slowed, ceasing the motion of writing, and he turned to look at Raihan. The warmest smile Raihan had seen him wear to date found his lips, even though it was still small.

“He’s much younger than me, he’s going to be eleven this year… he gets excited easily and loves to play with wooden swords and whatever bugs he can find. I have tried to instill a love of reading in him, but he really only likes the books that describe grand adventures.”

Raihan’s smile widened. 

“He sounds like a fun kid,” Raihan said. “Always looking for the next excitement, I assume?”

“Oh yes,” Leon said, shaking his head, “he can certainly be a handful. But he’s a good boy. He knows when to calm down, as well.”

Raihan watched Leon carefully, lingering on the fondness in his eyes and the warm, gentle smile on his lips. 

“Do you miss him?”

Leon’s fingers closed more tightly around his quill, and his voice was soft.

“...yes. I… I was not intending on being away from him for too long… so I need to write him and let him know what’s going on.” He frowned. “...while also downplaying the fact that I became injured…” Leon sighed, finally removing his hat and running a hand through his purple hair, leaving it incredibly messy and all over the place. “I don’t wish to withhold information from him, but… I also don’t want him to needlessly worry.”

“That’s really sweet of you. …I wish I had a brother,” Raihan said. 

Leon smiled at him, his golden eyes opening up a little bit.

“I don’t know what I’d do without my brother,” Leon said, “I’m sure he’d like to see you when we return to Hammerlocke.”

Raihan smiled a little more.

“I’d like that.”

Leon brightened up slightly, and nodded. 

“Wonderful. ...ah.” He turned back to the desk. “Best finish up this letter, then…”

Raihan left him in peace to finish the letter, and tried to ignore the odd melancholy that settled over him.

It wasn’t long before Leon finished the letter, closing it up and putting away the parchment and things. He let out a sigh and started slipping out of his clothes, dressing down for bed. Taking off his tunic only ruffled his already messy hair more.

Raihan glanced over at him and snorted. 

“Nice hat hair,” he said, then put a hand on Leon’s head, ruffling the messy mop of purple hair.

Leon gasped gently as Raihan’s fingers tangled in his hair, stiffening just slightly, but he didn’t pull away. “....I… it’s…”

A strange feeling passed over Raihan as his hand tangled in Leon’s hair, and his eyes grew distant. The moment was over almost as soon as it began, however, and he let Leon go.

“We need to get you a hairbrush.”

Leon watched him closely, and nodded at his words. “...yes, that would be nice. I haven’t had a brush since Postwick. Your hair seems to be doing just fine, however, despite the fact that I know you also don’t have a brush.”

“I’m used to making do,” Raihan said, pulling the tie from his hair to let it fall loose. “It’s not as thick as yours, either.”

“True…” Leon mused as he sank down onto the bed, reaching up to fuss with his own hair for a moment. He tugged on the sharply-cut ends a little before he settled onto his back on the bed.

Raihan kicked off his boots and stripped out of his tunic, then slid into bed beside him, leaving him plenty of room. He sank into the mattress, which wasn’t half-bad for a little inn in a small town, and much better than sleeping on the ground again. He could feel Leon shifting in the bed beside him, but paid him little mind. Weary from the day on the road, Raihan closed his eyes and was asleep in moments.

* * *

Raihan awoke late into the night to the sound of whimpering. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he rolled over to find Leon trembling and shifting under the covers, and the fearful look on his face broke Raihan’s heart.

“Leon?” he asked, sitting up.

Leon’s brow was furrowed, not an usual sight, though it was still an intense expression for someone deep in sleep. He let out a few more soft whimpers, his hands twitching.

“Hey, Leon. Wake up.”

Raihan reached over to roughly shake him awake, but froze an instant before he could grab his shoulder. It was as if his whole arm had seized up, refusing to let him grab Leon. He pulled back, and his arm relaxed. 

What the _hell_ was that all about? He looked at his arm and flexed his fingers, but nothing unusual happened. He looked back at Leon. Maybe…he should wake him more gently. 

Raihan cautiously took one of Leon’s hands instead.

“Leon? Leon, it’s okay.”

Leon’s hand trembled in Raihan’s, and though he let out a whimper, his fitful movements almost immediately began to still.

“...R…. Raihan?...”

“Yeah, I'm here. It's okay, Leon. I'm right here. You're safe,” he said, gently rubbing Leon’s palm with his thumb.

Leon let out a broken sigh, his trembling form slowly beginning to relax.

“...you… safe?...”

“Yeah, I’m safe, too,” Raihan said. “We’re all safe.”

Leon relaxed further, letting out a deeper sigh. His hand closed around Raihan’s and he drifted closer to him in the bed.

“...safe…” he murmured.

“Yeah, that’s right. Safe,” Raihan said, taking the hand in both of his.

Leon sighed one more time, then sank back into a calm sleep. Raihan gently rubbed Leon’s hand, mulling over the encounter, but didn’t get the chance to satisfactorily think it over before sleep claimed him once again.

* * *

Raihan awoke to the sound of birdsong outside his window, the winter wrens waking with the dawn. He blearily opened his eyes, still holding Leon’s hand. Leon was still fast asleep, his form doing a decent job of radiating heat, his hand lazily clasped around Raihan’s. The sunlight filtered in through the window, casting a warm glow across Leon’s brilliant hair and illuminating his regal face just right. 

Raihan’s breath caught in his throat at the sight, and was struck by the sudden desire to gently kiss him awake. He indulged in the fantasy for a moment before flushing, wondering what he was doing and forced his thoughts back under control. Gently, he slipped his hands away from Leon’s and pulled away. Leon let out a soft sigh as Raihan pulled away from him, starting to wake up. Soon he sat up, making an odd motion over his shoulder, like he was moving something out of the way that wasn’t there.

“...good morning,” he mumbled, sleep garbling his voice.

“Good morning,” Raihan said, sliding out of bed. “Bath, bandages, breakfast, then back on the road?”

“Mm,” Leon said, rubbing his face as he came further out of sleep. “Yes… that is a good plan.”

“Do you want help getting your bandages off? Your wound is healing, but it’s still open enough that I don’t think getting it wet is a good idea.”

“Agreed,” Leon said with a nod, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I can get them off just fine… though if you wouldn’t mind bringing me a bucket of water… I can clean myself in here while you go to the bath. Then we’ll be able to get on the road quicker.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Raihan slipped from the room, gone for several minutes before he returned with a bucket of water and a clean cloth from the bathing room, bringing it to Leon. 

“It’s ice cold, as a heads up. Better than no bath at all, though.”

“Indeed,” Leon said, reaching for the cloth and wincing as he pulled at his wound. It was certainly better than it should have been, considering how bad it was and how little time had passed, though it was far from healed. “Thank you, Raihan.”

“Shout if you need anything,” Raihan said over his shoulder, and slipped out of the room. 

The “bathing room” was little more than a shed behind the inn with a well, a wooden wash basin, and a few bars of soap. Being winter, the water was absolutely freezing. Though Raihan detested it, this was far from the first time he’d bathed in ice water, and he cleaned himself quickly and efficiently before dumping the soiled water out back where it wouldn’t cause a problem when it froze, and returned hastily to the room. 

“Gah, I’m freezing!” Raihan complained as he entered the room.

Leon looked up, in the process of trying to replace his bandages, the bucket beside him now only partially full. He gave Raihan a slightly pitying look.

“Winter is still fully upon us, I’m afraid,” he said, wincing as he tried to pull a bandage across his wound.

“Tell me about it. Hey, do you need a hand with that?” He asked, and slid in closer to help.

“Y-yes, I would appreciate that,” Leon admitted, sighing as he allowed Raihan to help him replace the bandages over the wound in his torso. As Raihan worked, his gaze trailed away, and he started talking again, though it seemed to be partially to himself.

“We’re going to keep moving north, to get to Motostoke… though there’s a lot more open area, so we’ll have to start camping out. Though I did overhear some merchants last night who had just come from there… they discussed several inns in their path, so we shouldn’t have to sleep on the ground _too_ often…”

“That’s a relief,” Raihan said. “I’d like to avoid camping in the snow as much as possible, but it is what it is.” 

He tied off the last bandage. 

“There. How does that feel?”

Leon took a moment to shift around, then nodded. “It feels good. They should last that way a while. I’m not sure when we’ll get a proper bath next, either.”

“I agree,” Raihan said, then held a hand out to help Leon to his feet. “Let’s get ready to head out, then!”

Leon gave him a small smile in return, accepting Raihan’s help. “Yes, let’s.” He retrieved the letter he’d written the night prior from his pack. “We can find someone with carrier pigeons on the way out of town… and keep moving. So we can get back to Hammerlocke as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, of course,” Raihan said, but gave Leon a sideways glance.

Carrier pigeon? For a simple letter to his brother? A town this size probably had a coop, but what kind of person was Leon where he was so confident that he could fly a pigeon to his brother? Pigeons didn’t fly where they were asked to go, they weren’t human messengers. The birds were trained to fly to one specific coup, and then had to be brought back to the starting point by hand. While it was true that Hammerlocke was the capital of Galar, not everyone could request a pigeon for a message. Especially not something as trivial as a letter to a child.

If nothing else, Leon _had_ to come from a family with money. Being raised wealthy would certainly explain some of his prim and proper mannerisms, but Raihan knew he wasn’t close to having the full picture. With one more clue to think over, they took one more to the road.

* * *

They spent the next few days camping on the ground, much to Raihan’s chagrin, bedrolls huddled tight together for warmth. Leon remained quiet for the most part, and was especially cagey when talking about himself, so Raihan filled the silence with stories of adventure (and the occasional misadventure) from his time in the militia and from his youth. Leon listened attentively to Raihan’s stories, occasionally expressing disbelief or excitement. Compared to when they’d first met, Leon was beginning to open up, though sometimes it still seemed as though he wasn’t used to being unreserved. Raihan felt a swell of accomplishment every time he pulled a smile out of Leon, and was pleased to see they were happening more and more often.

After three days on the road, they finally reached the next town, and immediately set up in another inn, eager for a night in a bed and a chance to wash up. 

“So,” Raihan said, coming back into their rented room from his bath and wiping water out of his ear, “we’re still on track for Motostoke, right? Should we resupply tomorrow morning and move right out, or do you want to rest for a day? How’s your wound?”

“It’s finally starting to really close over,” Leon responded, applying the salve to the front of his wound after he’d washed up with a cloth and bucket of water. “This salve that Magnolia gave me is truly doing wonders.”

“That’s a witch for you. Truly the best medicines money can buy, though witches tend to rarely ask for money,” Raihan said. “Looks like it’s going to scar though, magic cream or no magic cream.”

“I don’t mind a scar, considering the circumstances,” Leon admitted, finishing his front. He looked up at Raihan, no longer hesitating to ask for help with his bandages. “Would you help me finish bandaging, please?”

“Of course,” Raihan said smoothly, and began bandaging him with smooth, practiced movements. He’d become quite accustomed to helping Leon tend his wounds, and gotten even better at hiding how much he wanted to let his fingers linger on that broad, strong torso. Leon let out a quiet sigh as they finished, testing the tug of the bandages a bit before nodding.

“Thank you.”

Leon then set about getting into his sleeping clothes, which had been necessary during the cold, winter nights. Even in such mundane tasks as getting dressed, he seemed to move more gracefully than most people. Other than the occasional odd motion where it looked like he was moving long hair that wasn’t there out of the way, he moved about with a very compelling air. 

This casual grace, along with the telling ways that Leon reacted to Raihan’s stories from the militia, led Raihan to come to the conclusion that Leon had not been in the militia with him. If nothing else, he’d never been in the infantry like Raihan had. He guessed Leon definitely came from wealth, and was possibly even highborn. Raihan wasn’t ruling out the fact that Leon could be a guard, but maybe he was a guildsman or merchant’s son who had taken to weaponswork instead of tradework. 

Raihan changed into his own sleeping clothes, mulling over the new clues. Leon glanced at him as they prepared to once again sleep in the same bed.

“I hope you don’t mind the one bed situation…” he said quietly.

“Not at all,” Raihan said. “I mean, we’ve spent the last three nights shivering together for warmth. This is paradise compared to that.”

“Fair enough,” Leon said, “though we’re in a much warmer environment tonight, so… ”

“So we can relax. Gods, I _hate_ the cold.”

Leon’s lips curled up slightly as he lay down on the bed.

“You _have_ seemed quite a bit closer the last few mornings when I woke up.”

“Ahhh, is that a smile I see there, Leon?” Raihan teased. “Does my desperation for heat amuse you?”

“A bit,” Leon admitted, still wearing his small smile. “I suppose I don’t find it quite as upsetting as you do.”

“That’s because you run hot!” Raihan protested, and slid into the bed beside him. He fell backwards into the mattress, as if all his strength had left him. “And I'm just a poor, mentally addled soldier, weak from the cold and faint from hunger…” 

Leon let out a soft chuckle, then looked a bit surprised. He shook it off and turned to look at Raihan with a faintly amused expression. Raihan’s heart lifted at the sound of Leon’s chuckle, accepting that as a tremendous victory.

“Well, I’d hate for you to freeze on my watch… though you most certainly _shouldn’t_ be faint.” He poked Raihan in the side. “I saw just how much food you ate at dinner this evening.”

“It’s how I fuel all _this,_ ” Raihan grinned, and struck a pose, flexing his arms.

Leon’s smile widened a little, and he reached out toward him again.

“All what, exactly?”

Leon poked him once again, this time in the singular exact spot between his ribs that made Raihan yelp, the spot unexpectedly ticklish. Leon’s eyebrows raised, his voice the one that was teasing now.

“Ah, a weak point? Should so impeccable a warrior have such a weak point?”

His hand deftly moved to poke the ticklish spot again.

Raihan squirmed away in the bed, avoiding his touch.

“No, no! It was a fluke!”

“A fluke, hm?” Leon asked, “so you wouldn’t mind if I…?” He reached out toward Raihan again.

“Ah!” Raihan deflected his touch with a hand. “No, I refuse!”

Leon chuckled softly again and retracted his hand. “All right, all right… I recognize your white flag.”

“Maybe you’re not a guard at all, but a general,” Raihan said dryly, “studying your opponent’s weak points and exploiting them to your advantage.”

Leon kept his smile as he responded.

“Perhaps. A general would certainly know it unwise to have loose lips regarding all his secrets.”

“Well, I do know one thing,” Raihan grinned and leaned in closer. “You’re not the emotionless statue you were a week ago, that’s for damn sure.”

Leon’s smile dropped instantly, and he searched Raihan’s eyes, his expression immediately guarded once again.

“...emotionless statue?...”

Raihan held Leon’s eyes and gave him a warm smile.

“When we first met...or...well... When I first remember meeting you, in that wood outside of Postwick, you were so cold and stiff. But that icy exterior is flaking away bit by bit,” Raihan said and leaned in closer, his eyes holding only warmth, “and I'm so excited to meet whoever's underneath.”

Leon held his gaze for a long moment, then looked away, a hefty sigh escaping his lungs.

“...you and me both.”

Raihan blinked, surprised at his response. He gently took Leon’s hand in his.

“Then let’s do it together.”

Leon gasped, looking quickly back at Raihan. Slowly, he closed his hand around Raihan’s.

“...a-all right.” His brow furrowed as he continued. “...I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Raihan asked. “For what?”

“...for a great many things,” Leon replied. “I feel as though I have been a burden to you… your worries are clearly more than enough, and you need no further weight on your shoulders…”

Raihan fell silent for a moment, holding tight to Leon’s hand.

“We all have our demons, Leon,” he said slowly. “And none of them are the same. I hold no grudge or ill will toward you. Quite the opposite, in fact. I don’t know what I’d do without you, or if I’d awaken in that forest alone.”

Leon’s hand tightened around Raihan’s, and his voice grew more soft and strained.

“...I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there.”

“It’s a good thing we have each other then, isn’t it?” Raihan said with a grin.

“I-indeed it is,” Leon replied, his voice a little thick. He cleared his throat. “I… I often feel as though my demeanor is stifling to others… though you seem more immune to it than most. I do hope that neither it nor my nightmares have been troubling you…”

Raihan shook his head. 

“They wake me, on occasion, but you soothe easily and we are soon both back to sleep.”

“I hate to disrupt your sleep, especially as we travel so much… I could start sleeping on my bedroll, my wound is—”

“Don’t you _dare,_ ” Raihan snapped. 

Leon stared at him in clear disbelief, his eyes wide and mouth open slightly.

Raihan’s determined gaze didn’t waver, but his voice softened.

“You’re still injured, Leon, and your nightmares truly don’t bother me. Please. Let me help you.”

Leon’s eyes seemed caught by Raihan’s, and he nodded slowly.

“...all… all right.”

Raihan’s expression softened.

“Good. Now how about we actually get some sleep instead of just talking about it, hm?”

Leon ducked his head, turning and burying his face into the flat pillows of the inn.

“Of… of course. Good night, Raihan.”

“Good night, Leon.”

* * *

Like clockwork, Leon began to shift and whimper in the dead of night, caught by another nightmare. Raihan rolled over, still half asleep, and reached gently for him.

“S’okay, Leon… I’m here… C’mon.”

Soft, upset noises escaped Leon’s lips, and he shivered beneath the covers, despite still giving off as much heat as the simmering coals of a fire.

“It’s okay, Leon. I’m here. We’re safe,” Raihan said sleepily and gently stroked his shoulders. Leon slipped in closer to him, one of his hands reaching out and finding Raihan. Still in sleep, he gently slid his hand down along Raihan’s chest.

“...Ra… Raihan…?” he questioned softly. “You… safe…?”

“I’m safe,” Raihan confirmed, still finding this an oddly specific question. “We’re safe.”

Leon’s hand lay flat on Raihan’s torso, and he relaxed, letting out a sigh.

“...safe… good…”

“Sleep, Leon. All is well,” Raihan yawned.

He wrapped his arms around Leon, pulling him close. Almost on their own, Raihan’s arms shifted, muscle memory picking up where his own could not. In a moment, he had the both of them relaxed and comfortable, his arms around Leon as if they belonged there. Snapping awake at the realization, Raihan froze as he considered the implications of this, and wondered if he was jumping to conclusions.

Leon let out a much heavier sigh, and it wasn’t long at all before he was fast asleep in Raihan’s arms.

Raihan held him close, his arms still comfortable around Leon. Raihan ran through the other possibilities, but only one reason stood out to him as to why his arms seemed to know exactly how to hold Leon. He thought about how cold Leon was when they met in the forest, and how sometimes he caught him watching him with sorrow in his golden eyes. Raihan’s heart ached, but told himself it could wait for the morning and there would be nothing gained from waking Leon up now. Holding Leon close, he drifted once more into sleep.

* * *

Raihan awoke with the dawn and held Leon close, not wanting to let him go. As light began to filter into their room, Leon began to wake, shifting a little in Raihan’s arms.

“Mm,” Raihan said eloquently, “G’mornin’.”

“Morning,” Leon toned sleepily. His eyes fluttered open, staring sleepily at Raihan’s chest. After a few long moments, he closed his eyes again, not seeming too keen on leaving Raihan’s arms just yet.

Raihan watched the way Leon curled against him and his heart sank.

“C’mon. We need to resupply today.”

“...yes… we do,” came Leon’s soft reply, though he still didn’t move.

Hesitantly, Raihan pulled away from him. He slid off the bed and started getting ready for the day, not meeting Leon’s eye. Leon did much the same, quiet as he got up and carefully stretched, then went about getting dressed. As they got ready, Raihan couldn’t shake the feeling of Leon in his arms and finally couldn’t take it anymore.

“Leon…” he said hesitantly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course,” Leon replied, ghosting a hand over his shoulders before reaching up and running his hand through his messy hair.

“Last night, when I held you and soothed your nightmares, it was like… my hands knew what to do, even though I didn't,” He watched Leon carefully, gauging his reaction. “Like it was muscle memory.”

Leon went very still, and didn’t look over at him. The silence lingered in the air for a long moment before Raihan continued.

“And that makes me think we've done that before. Many times. Sometimes, I catch you looking at me, and you look so… so sad,” He bit his lip and met Leon’s eyes. “Leon, please… I need to know. Are we… were we… lovers?”

Leon took a deep breath, then let it out, turning to look at Raihan.

“No… we were not lovers.” For the first time, something in his golden eyes rang with a half-truth, like Leon wasn’t telling him everything, but he didn’t look away from Raihan’s own eyes. “You did, however, learn how to soothe my nightmares, and have helped me through them many times.” The smile that found his lips was small, but warm. “You’re a kind man, Raihan.”

Raihan stared at him. How in the _nine hells_ was he sleeping wrapped around this gorgeous man and _not_ making passionate love to him?

“Seriously?” Raihan asked incredulously. “Is there someone you are… with?”

Leon raised his eyebrows slightly, looking almost startled by the question.

“No… no there isn’t.”

Raihan considered this, then was struck by one final alarming thought.

“Is there someone that _I’m…_ Did… have… have I forgotten anyone else?” 

Leon’s brow furrowed slightly, taking a step toward Raihan.

“You… you’ve mentioned friends many times… though you’ve only ever mentioned one person you were close with…” He chewed on his lower lip slightly. “Sebastian…?”

“Sebastian…” Raihan nodded slowly. “Yes, I remember Seb. We were— are?— good friends. And yes, we were lovers. We were often stationed together in the militia and we were both pretty lonely, but…”

The memory came clearly, unaffected by whatever strange amnesia clouded parts of his mind.

“I hurt him. He wasn’t really expecting it and… gods, I really hurt him. I _knew_ it was going to hurt him, and I did it anyway,” Raihan said.

Leon’s voice was quiet, almost gentle.

“...you broke things off with him?”

“Yes. And…” The memory grew less clear, details slipping away from him. “There was a reason. A good reason. I was so passionate about it, and I knew hurting Seb would be worth it, even though I was afraid he’d hate me after.”

The details were just out of reach, but he could see Sebastian’s heartbroken face clearly.

“Why?” Raihan asked, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. “Why would I… Gods, I told him to his face that I never loved him. What could have possibly been so important that I—”

A swell of warmth blossomed in his heart, a blaze of dedication and love, followed immediately by a spike of crippling pain that drove through his skull. He fell to his knees with a scream and clutched at his head. His vision swam and the world went out of focus as he doubled over.

“Raihan!!”

One of Leon’s hands gripped Raihan’s shoulder, squeezing him there. Raihan took a few sharp, harsh breaths, then let the memory go. The pain subsided instantly.

“Dammit…”

“I’m sorry…” came Leon’s quiet voice.

Raihan sighed and rose to his feet, wiping his face off with a sleeve.

“No sense in fussing over it now, I guess. I suppose we’ll just have to trust that the memories will keep returning.”

Leon nodded, keeping a close eye on him as he stood up.

“You’ve been remembering some things here and there… perhaps you’ll just have to be patient.”

Raihan made a noise of disgust and threw his head back with an exaggerated motion.

“What a _pain._ ”

Leon’s lips curled into a small smile, and he gave Raihan’s shoulder a pat.

“I can imagine… though hopefully as we get back into more familiar territory, that will help.”

Raihan sighed, then glanced over at Leon and shot him a grin.

“Hey, at least I got another smile out of you, though. So that’s worth something.”

Leon’s golden eyes rolled slightly, and he shoved him lightly.

“Come on, you ridiculous man… we have work to do today.”

Raihan laughed and threw his cloak over his shoulders.

“Alright! On to Motostoke!”


	22. Melting Snow - Chapter 4

“You know, I could be wrong, being a half-brained amnesiac right now, but I’m _pretty_ sure this isn’t Motostoke.”

Leon suppressed a grumble at Raihan’s all-too-true words. They should have reached Motostoke days ago, maybe even a week ago, but they hadn’t seen one bit of civilization since leaving Turffield behind. To make matters worse, the city in front of them was little more than thick, high walls with the peeking towers of a fortress behind them, and a skyline nothing like the industrious, modern Motostoke. Their boots crunched through the snow along the uneven ground. Every now and then, one of them would slip, their foot sinking deeper into the frozen marshland around them.

“And I’m pretty sure there’s no swamp anywhere near Motostoke,” Raihan continued dryly.

“I know, I _know,_ ” Leon did finally grumble aloud. “We must have taken the wrong fork somewhere in the road.” 

He finally looked up from the map that he’d been referencing constantly (though this seemed to have little effect on the accuracy of his navigation). Leon squinted through the lightly falling snow at the large, dark city coming more into view before them.

“It seems that we’re coming upon the city of Spikemuth, instead,” he said, feeling a bit of relief that at least he now had _some_ idea of where they were in relation to Hammerlocke.

“Spikemuth?” Raihan said, curiosity breaking through the dry sarcasm in his voice. “I’ve never been to Spikemuth. Have you?”

Leon felt a tightness in his chest that he’d rapidly been becoming familiar with, when Raihan showed very clearly that he’d forgotten all their recent memories together. Outwardly, he merely nodded.

“I’ve been to Spikemuth a number of times. I think I remember a place we can stay here… it would certainly beat the camping we’ve been doing for the last week.”

“A stable covered in horse shit would be better than all this winter camping,” Raihan grumbled, “it would at least be _warm._ Spikemuth or Motostoke, let’s find a real bed to sleep in!”

“Agreed,” Leon said firmly, and stowed the map into his belt pouch as they approached the city gates. A bit of fear bubbled up within Leon’s gut as they approached the guards, hoping that his hat and winter getup would be enough that the tightly-knit people from Spikemuth wouldn’t recognize him. He nervously tugged on his hat as the guards called down to them.

“Oi! What’s yer business!” one demanded while his fellow guard’s teeth chattered.

“Two travelers, on our way to Hammerlocke!” Raihan announced. “Looking for a place to stay the night and resupply before we head back out!”

“Hmm,” the first guard sized them up a bit longer before he finally nodded. “It’s been a tight year, but we might have some t’spare for payin’ coin. But the second yeh cause trouble, yer gettin’ kicked out!”

Leon didn’t dare speak, for fear of being recognized, and nodded to Raihan his approval.

“Sounds like a fair deal to us,” Raihan said with a wave, and approached the gates. Leon tugged his hat lower as they entered the city, and stuck close to Raihan, telling himself that it was for warmth and not the truth.

Once past the gates, the bitter winds died down quite a bit thanks to the high walls around Spikemuth, though a soft flurry of snow still fell delicately onto the crooked rooftops and angular streets. Despite the cold, there were still children running through the snow, laughing as they tumbled about in their thick winter fur coats made of black and white fur. They happily played with their weasel and cat creatures, though most of the reptile creatures were nowhere to be seen.

Raihan slowed to a stop and gaped at the citizens casually going about their day with their unusual creatures.

“This is… but… this is impossible…” he gasped. 

Leon slowed next to him, barely noticing as a small smile found his own lips at the look on Raihan’s face. It was so much more pronounced than the subdued look of shock Raihan had worn the first time they’d been in this city, and Leon couldn’t help but relish in it.

“The creatures, mingling with the children?” he queried, all too eager to hear Raihan’s excitement a second time.

“Do you know what I would have given to grow up in a place like this? What I would _still_ give to live like this? So-called monsters and people living in peace, side by side? I’d fill my house with amazing creatures and love every single one!” Raihan grinned wide and his eyes shone with excitement. “How did this happen? Why have I never visited this place before? Why does no one know about this?”

Something now unfamiliar sparked in Leon’s chest at the sight of Raihan’s open, bright eyes and enormous grin. Had he acted this way in the militia? Did he close himself off from Leon because of how cold he’d been? His heart ached, longing to keep this cheerier Raihan, but he really didn’t want to sacrifice all the memories they had already created together.

“The citizens of Spikemuth have faced quite a bit of ire regarding their decision to dwell in tandem with creatures. In that matter, as in most, they tend to prefer to keep to themselves.”

“Hah, I bet! I’d keep to myself too, if the alternative was being forced to give my dragon away!” Raihan finally shook off his shock enough to keep walking, though his bright eyes darted all over the busy street, wide with wonder.

“Hm, your _dragon?_ ” Leon prodded, unable to resist.

“Oh! Er…” Raihan laughed and his dark skin flushed around his ears. “So, I grew up next to the Fairy Forest, right? As a kid, I somehow had enough dumb luck to attract the friendship of a dragon… I suppose calling him ‘my’ dragon isn’t really accurate. He’d just fly in and get me out of whatever mess I was in and take off again. Still. I liked to think of him as mine.”

His face took on a wistful look as he watched a little girl run past with one of the black and white weasels. 

“What a kind creature he must be,” Leon mused, fixating on the wistful look on Raihan’s face. He hadn’t noticed where they were walking, as he’d been following Raihan’s excited path through the city. Leon looked around at the confusing buildings as they continued along, trying in vain to orient himself, or decipher where the best inn was, though he knew it was near the castle gates.

“Could you imagine the whole kingdom this way?” Raihan asked dreamily. “Everyone living with such majestic creatures by their side?”

A smile found Leon’s face as he considered the idea, imagining it through the rosy lens that Raihan was clearly viewing it through.

“It would be wonderful,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, it would,” Raihan sighed. “Impossible, but I can dream, right?”

He shot Leon a grin.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Leon agreed.

A flurry of footfalls padding through the snow echoed through the tight-knit streets, and a large streak of black and white fur came barrelling toward them. 

“What the—” Raihan only had enough time to put his hand on the hilt of his sword before he was knocked clean off his feet by two hundred pounds of excited Goon.

“Dammit, Goon!” came a familiar voice, though Duke Piers was moving considerably slower through the snow than the badger had. Goon, meanwhile, was licking Raihan’s face enthusiastically between nuzzling him and wagging his tiny tail.

“W-what the… what…” Raihan let go of his sword and tried to push the giant badger off him, with absolutely zero success. He tried to shield his face from the onslaught of slobber being dispensed on him, only to get it all over his hands and arms as well. “Augh! Gross!”

“Ah, Raihan,” Leon said perhaps a little too loudly, “this is Goon. He’s ah… quite the friendly sort, as you can see.”

Goon let out a soft whine, trying to nuzzle into Raihan’s hands, his pink tongue still lolling from his mouth.

“I can see that,” Raihan said dryly. He tried to sit up once more before giving up, laying back in the slush-covered street with Goon happily perched on his abdomen. “Friend of yours?”

Piers’s steps slowed as he approached, and his sharp eyes darted between Leon and Raihan.

“Yes,” Leon said, catching Piers’ eye and speaking firmly, “I’m familiar with Goon, and his keeper Piers.” Leon gave Piers a stern look, hoping that he was getting the order of “play along” across. He silently thanked the stars that Piers preferred more common clothes, and was wearing nothing extravagant while out in the cold. 

Piers squinted at Leon, as if trying to read his mind. 

“Uh… tha’s right. Goon, _off,_ ” Piers said, and Goon finally scrambled off Raihan, though the badger still quivered with barely-repressed excitement as Raihan got to his feet. “What’re you doin’ here… Leon?”

“We’re on our way back to Hammerlocke,” Leon said, keeping tense eye contact with Piers. “Though we’ve certainly hit some awful weather on the way. Can you get us set up in an inn for the night?”

“An…inn?” Piers asked. 

Raihan got to his feet, slapping the slush off his clothing. Goon watched him with unrestrained excitement, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“Oh, hey,” Raihan said and waved one slobber-covered hand. “You’re Leon’s friend? I’m Raihan. Good to meet you! I’d shake your hand, but… uh…” 

Piers stared at Raihan.

Panic rose in Leon as Piers froze up, and he moved over to him, giving the smaller man a nudge.

“A man of few words,” Leon said in what he hoped was a teasing tone, “I can relate.”

“Ah… right,” Piers said, tearing his eyes away as Leon nudged him. “I can find an inn for y’both. An’ maybe I can get some time t’catch up with my old friend Leon, hm?”

“Yes, that sounds lovely,” Leon replied with an amount of relief. “As does a warm place to sleep… we’ve been out in the wilds for far too long.”

Gods, what was he even going to say? Truth be told, he’d been hoping to avoid _anyone_ he knew until they got back to Hammerlocke, especially with how poorly Raihan had reacted when attempting to remember things before he was ready. But it might feel good to speak to someone about everything that had occurred, and of all the seated nobility, Piers was the one who had his utmost trust.

“Right. This way, then,” Piers slouched off down the street. 

He gave a sharp whistle, and Goon leapt to his feet to amble along beside him. Raihan brushed himself off once more, then let out a soft laugh and fell into step beside Leon. Silence among people normally didn’t bother Leon, though his worry that Piers might let something slip urged him into speaking.

“How has the winter been treating you so far, Piers?” Leon asked. “Enough to get by?”

“Storms’ve been a mite rough,” Piers said with a sideways glance. “Luckily we’ve had an unexpected windfall that’s helping us get by.”

“That’s good to hear,” Leon said, noting that perhaps throughout the coming year, he might research some structures to add to Spikemuth that would help with the storms. “Hopefully it has been bearable.”

“Is what it is,” Piers said. “...How ‘bout you two? ...Been traveling for long?”

“A little over two weeks now,” Leon responded. “We came from Postwick.”

“Postwick?” Piers asked with a surprised look. “That sleepy little hamlet?”

“Ah, so you know it?” Raihan asked. “I’d never even heard of it!”

“You never heard of it, and yet y’ended up there?” Piers asked.

“I-it’s a bit of a long story,” Leon hopped in with, giving Piers another stern look. “Perhaps we can chat a little more over a warm dinner at the inn?”

‘If y’insist. Looks like we’re about here anyhow,” Piers said and nodded to a nicer-looking building. 

“Warmth sounds _incredible,_ ” Leon admitted, and let out a relieved sigh as they slipped into the cosy-looking inn. A big, roaring fire was going full-force in the main area, and quite a few people milled about, intermixed with some smaller creatures. He turned to Raihan as all three of them brushed snow off of their clothes in the entrance.

“Would you mind getting us set up for the night, Raihan?” he asked. “I’d like to chat with Piers for just a bit, if that’s all right…”

Raihan glanced between the two of them and grinned. 

“Sure thing! I’ll let you two catch up,” he said, then meandered toward the innkeeper, taking his time. Leon let out a heavy sigh as he and Piers moved to a quiet table near the back of the room, and he sank down into one of the seats, dropping his head into his hands.

“What in the _hell_ is goin’ on,” Piers hissed under his breath. “Last I heard, you were takin’ a ‘leave of absence’ and _he,_ ” Piers jerked a thumb back toward where Raihan had gone, “was _dead!_ ”

“You heard right,” Leon said, and his tone sharpened slightly. “On both counts.”

He took a steeling breath and finally looked over at Piers, tugging on his hat anxiously.

“...I went to the Weald.”

Piers sucked in a sharp breath.

“The Weald…” he murmured. “The rumors I’ve heard say that those who enter th’ Weald don’t return.” 

Leon nodded slowly.

“...I think I was incredibly lucky to have made it out with what I sought.” He considered those words a moment. “Or incredibly blessed.”

Piers rested his chin on his fingers, thinking.

“Did you, though? Are y’sure that’s really Raihan? He’s… different.”

“It’s him,” Leon said with surety, looking over to where Raihan was merrily chatting with the innkeep. “He’s just… missing parts of himself. It was part of the price paid to… to bring him back.”

“Price?” Piers asked, emerald eyes boring into Leon. “An’ what price did _you_ pay?”

Leon glanced around the inn, tugging on his hat again.

“Mostly inconsequential things, though the final price is proving to be the most difficult. I must…” Leon hesitated, hoping that speaking of his trial wouldn’t somehow negate the power behind it. Ultimately, he chose to remain vague, just in case. “I must get him to Hammerlocke.”

Piers regarded him for a long moment, considering. Finally, he gave him a sardonic smile.

“And that’s why you’re in… Spikemuth.”

Leon frowned at him.

“I'd appreciate it if you didn't add to the sarcasm I've had to endure along with the snow,” he said, though he was surprised when his tone came out far more warmly than usual. Of course it had, he wasn't _truly_ upset at Piers' teasing. Gods, emotions were taking some getting used to. But, he thought as his frown eased into a small smile, they were far from unwelcome in his heart after all these years. 

Piers raised his eyebrows and finally sat back, his smile still playing about his lips.

“Well, if this takes long enough that th’ council starts gettin’ restless, I’ll do what I can t’smooth things over.” 

“Thank you very much, Piers,” Leon said quietly. “I truly appreciate that. I…” He let his eyes trail away from Piers’, feeling doubt creeping into his chest. “...I realize how selfish a quest this is. Had I been in my right mind two weeks ago, perhaps I could have talked myself out of it, but…”

“If I may be so bold, Majesty,” Piers said softly. “If yeh allowed yourself _one_ selfish thing in your entire reign, I think this’d be the appropriate choice. Amid your duty to Galar and her people, you’re still allowed t’be happy.”

Leon mulled over this for a moment, the cheery sounds of the patrons at the inn merely white noise in favor of his thoughts.

“I risked much to bring him back,” he finally whispered. “I was glad to leave with two lives, rather than not leave at all.”

“Hell of a risk,” Piers said, “but I’m real glad it paid off.”

“Me too,” Leon admitted quietly.

Something clicked in his head with Piers’ words, and he looked up at him with a sheepish expression.

“Er, speaking of, I didn’t exactly take much coin with me when I left for the Weald. We were planning on taking some odd jobs once we arrived at Motostoke, but if there was a way I could possibly borrow some from you instead…”

“The King tryin’ to pass off as a common laborer sounds like a recipe for disaster,” Piers said. “I can bring you somethin’ tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you. I’ll reimburse you the moment we return to Hammerlocke,” Leon said firmly. Another thought struck Leon and he quickly fumbled around in his pack.

“I’m so sorry to ask more of you, Piers, but…” He hastily pulled out a parchment and writing supplies. “...if you could get a letter to Hop… I don’t want him to worry about me.”

“No problem. I’ll have a courier take it at first light.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry, just one moment while I…” 

He trailed off, hastily writing a letter to Hop explaining that they had gotten turned around, but were now in Spikemuth, and were closer to getting home. He’d been sparse on the details regarding a lot of the hows, but he had let Hop know that yes… he was coming home with Raihan.

Leon quickly finished up the letter, folding it up and handing it off to Piers.

“Thank you again,” he said quietly. “I was loathe to leave him… as he was still recovering when I left, but…” Leon sighed. “He encouraged me to go.”

“‘Course he did,” Piers said, taking the letter. “Anythin’ for his big brother.”

“He… he also took Raihan’s loss very hard.” Leon let out a sigh, running a hand over his face. “I just hope that Raihan’s memories return to him… though… even if they don’t…” He swallowed loudly. “...I would still rather he be with us, and not in the Weald.”

Piers fell silent for a moment.

“I s’pose it’s only fair, considerin’ he was taken too soon. …Gods. I’d hated Rose for years, but if I’d known…”

Leon shook his head immediately.

“He had planted roots in me long ago… and he was very persuasive. As much as I despised him… I am just glad to no longer bear the thorny shackles that he put on me.”

Piers sat back and gave him a long look, eyes searching him.

“Despite th' pain yeh suffered beforehand… and whatever you've been through these past weeks… it's heartening t'see a smile on your face, Leon.”

Piers looked up as Raihan finally made his way back to the table.

“And on that note, I should be goin’,” he said, and rose to his feet.

“It was good to see you, Piers,” Leon said, giving him a small but warm smile. “...thank you.”

“You as well… Leon.”

“Leaving so soon?” Raihan asked with a touch of disappointment. “I was hoping to ask a local about all the creatures that live here…”

“Sorry mate, I’m in a hurry,” Piers said, “but if you come visit me after all is said’n done, I’d be happy to tell you anythin’ you want t’know.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Raihan grinned. 

Leon gave Piers one last wave as he ducked back out into the cold, then turned to Raihan.

“Get everything squared away?” he asked.

“Yep,” Raihan said, taking the seat previously occupied by Piers. “I only got us the one night, but we can extend it, depending on how long you want to stay here.”

“Hm,” Leon mused, “we’ll see how long it takes us to resupply and get our bearings tomorrow… but I know we’re nearing Hammerlocke. So I would like to leave in the next couple days.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Raihan said. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. How about we eat and turn in for the night?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Leon said with a nod. As the server approached, he ducked his head and tugged his hat down a little ways again. He let Raihan take initiative in ordering for them both, and he finally couldn’t help himself, and pulled out his map once again.

There was Spikemuth on the map, and not far to the west was Hammerlocke. It was obviously much further than the short distance on the paper map suggested, but it was much closer than they’d been.

They were so close. Just a little further and they’d be home.

And… what then?

What if Raihan didn’t remember everything once they made it back? Would he still want to be near him? Would he want to go in another direction with his life? How could he convince Raihan to stay beside him, even if he doesn’t remember him? His gut knotted with worry and his brow furrowed deeply as these thoughts swirled endlessly through his mind.

“Did that map do something to you?” Raihan’s voice broke through Leon’s thoughts. He leaned back in his chair and gave Leon an amused look. “You’re staring at it awfully hard, Lee.”

Leon drew in a sharp breath as he felt his heart do a somersault in his chest. The last time he heard Raihan call him “Lee” was… his heart swelled with warmth and ached in pain all at once. He let out a sharp snort of breath through his nose and folded the map back up, feeling an involuntary smile pull on his lips.

“Perhaps it did,” he said quietly, still trying to hide how much his heart was pounding, “a paper cut like you wouldn’t believe.”

Raihan burst into laughter and slapped the table.

“Well, don’t go on insulting it! We need that map to get us home!”

“I’m pretty sure it’s the one doing the insulting,” Leon grumbled, stashing the map away again. “But I’ll attempt to keep my glares to myself from now on.”

Raihan’s memories of him were still there, he was sure of it. He just had to do all he could to stay near him until they returned. Determination filled his chest, lingering amidst the intense feeling of love that he was slowly growing accustomed to as he watched Raihan laugh again.

Whatever it takes.

* * *

Raihan awoke in the morning with his arms once again around Leon. Did they seriously only have a platonic relationship? Why? _How?_ Raihan stared at the gorgeous man sleeping in his arms and felt yet another wave of frustration that he couldn’t remember him. A few moments more, and he became keenly aware of the fact that neither of them had taken a proper bath since Turffield. Longer for Leon, actually, considering that Leon had been taking sponge baths due to his wound. 

Raihan trailed a hand along Leon’s side to where the bandages lay under his loose tunic. It had been healing nicely, with help from Magnolia’s salve. It wasn’t an open wound anymore, covered with healing tissue, though it hadn’t yet fully scarred over. Maybe Raihan would see if this place had a bathing room. 

With one last gentle touch, Raihan slipped away and went investigating. He returned some time later, and found Leon awake and going through his things, taking stock.

“So, I have good news, bad news, and good news again,” Raihan said.

Leon’s eyebrows rose, amusement dancing about his features.

“All right, what is all this news, then?” he asked with warm golden eyes.

“The good news is that there's a bathing room with three tubs, and there's even a well pump right in the room!” Raihan beamed.

“Ah,” Leon toned with relief, “that’s wonderful. I’d very much like a bath…”

Raihan continued, “The bad news is that whoever designed and built these tubs obviously believes that all human beings are five feet all and a hundred fifty pounds tops, so… uh… it’s gonna be a little cramped. But, the rest of the good news is that there’s a heat basin that runs to the pump reservoir, so the water is hot!”

Raihan’s grin spread wider. Leon’s lips also spread into a smile, the relief growing more prominent on his face.

“Oh, that’s such a relief. A hot bath sounds positively heavenly right now.”

“That’s just what I was thinking. And I think your wound has closed over enough that it’s safe to take a proper bath, too,” Raihan grabbed his cloak and headed for the door. “Also, there’s no towels or drying rags, so bring your cloak!”

Leon looked startled, then grabbed his own cloak, following after Raihan swiftly.

“You didn’t say you were done with the bad news!”

“ _Now_ I’m done with the bad news! More good news? We’re the only guests at this inn, so we have it all to ourselves!”

Raihan led him to the bathing room just down the hall, a small, stone room with east-facing windows and three wooden tubs, just barely large enough for a man to sit down in. In the center of the room were several buckets and a large hand pump, which the innkeeper claimed was connected to a reservoir of heated water. Against one wall were several shelves, mostly empty where patrons could set their clothes, along with a few bars of scented lye soap.

Leon followed him into the bathing room, setting his things down on one of the shelves, and set about pumping them some water.

“Hm, well,” he said between motions, “there’s good news and bad news, Raihan.”

“Oh?” Raihan asked, stripping out of his tunic. “Your turn, huh? Well, let me have it. What’s the news?”

“The good news is that the water isn’t cold. The bad news is that it isn’t hot, either.” Leon started dragging the buckets over toward the tubs, setting about filling them up.

“Aw, really? Damn. Well, I suppose it was too good to be true.” Raihan sighed dreamily and stripped out of the rest of his clothing. He grabbed two of the bars of scented soap and sniffed them. “Do you want lavender or lemongrass?”

“I’m fine with either,” Leon said as he glanced up, then immediately looked away, his cheeks darkening with a blush. He busied himself with putting the buckets away before he more slowly began taking off his clothes.

“Take the lavender, then. It matches your purple head,” Raihan walked over and handed him the bar of soap, then started helping fill the tubs. 

Leon’s reaction to his nudity confirmed that Leon had told the truth about their relationship, that they weren’t lovers. However, it also opened up some new questions. Was Leon embarrassed because he was uncomfortable with nudity? Or was it because he liked what he saw?

Raihan cast his own appreciative glance at the man in question as Leon undressed, gaze lingering on thick, broad muscles under smooth bronze skin before finally averting his eyes out of politeness. Leon was soon nude as well, and slipped over to one of the small tubs, sinking into it with a sigh. He still was avoiding looking at Raihan, and began to lather with the lavender soap.

“It isn’t hot, but it’s still nice,” he murmured.

“I’ll sure as hell take it over ice water, that’s for damn sure,” Raihan said. 

He sat down in the little tub, and as expected, his limbs were far too long and lanky, his knees and elbows banging awkwardly on the sides. 

“Sure wish these damn tubs were big enough to do _anything_ in, though,” he groused, lathering up as best he could while his elbows got in the way.

A soft chuckle escaped Leon, who was having his fair share of awkward maneuvering, though it was less than the lanky Raihan.

“They sure seemed to be thinking about people closer to Du—to Piers’ build when they built these tubs.”

“Skinny as a rail? No meat on their bones?” Raihan supplied.

Leon chuckled again and nodded.

“That’s right. I have sometimes worried that he doesn’t eat enough… but I’m not sure it’s my place to pester him about that.”

Raihan gave him a sideways look as he lathered up his hair. 

“Are you two… uh… pretty close, then?”

“Er…” Leon frowned, considering the question. “Decently close, I would say… we have worked together on and off for many years now, and I…” He looked almost tentative. “I’d like to think that we’re friends.”

“Oh,” Raihan said noncommittally.

Friends, but not more than that, Raihan concluded with interest. He’d taken to thinking in terms of “Past Raihan” and “Present Raihan.” He had no idea what Past Raihan’s hang ups were, but the more he thought about it, the more confident he was that Present Raihan would be a fool to let a hunk of Leon-shaped premium beef get away, especially when they literally slept in each other’s arms each night. He decided that as soon as he had an opening, he’d test the waters and see how deep they ran.

As they were finishing up, Leon began murmuring to himself, making a mental list as he often did in the mornings to sort out the events of the day.

“Need to replenish our rations, buy a replacement cup, wash our clothes, mend the tent…” He looked over at Raihan. “Is there anything else we need to do today?”

“I think that covers it,” Raihan said, toweling himself off with his cloak. “If we can spare the coin, I wouldn’t be opposed to getting another blanket. I can work on the tent while you go shopping?”

“Ah, that would be very helpful,” Leon said, starting to get out of his own bath, “and perhaps checking on the weapons, too would—” His foot slipped on the wet floor as he stood, and his arms windmilled wildly to try and keep his balance.

Raihan dropped his cloak and darted to Leon’s side. He caught a flailing arm with one hand and Leon’s waist with the other, pulling him close to stop him from falling and breaking his head on the stone floor. Leon let out a small gasp at the motion, wide eyes meeting Raihan’s and catching there. A long moment of silence passed between them, and Leon’s golden eyes were captivating.

“Thank you,” he finally whispered.

“Of course,” Raihan murmured back. Leon’s wet skin was warm and slick beneath his fingers, and he smelled pleasantly of lavender. They were close enough that Raihan could count Leon’s eyelashes, and their chests brushed his with every heavy breath. 

“You know,” Raihan said, and the simmering fire behind his eyes made his intention clear, “there’s something else we could do today, too.”

Leon’s muscular form shivered under his hands, and the look in his bright eyes made it apparent that he had definitely caught Raihan’s meaning.

“…I…”

“Leon,” Raihan breathed. He trailed his fingers up Leon’s arm and gently took his chin in hand, running a thumb across the coarse patch of facial hair. “You sleep in my arms every night. Is that really all you want?”

“I…” Leon’s voice was breathless, and he trembled further in Raihan’s grip. He finally squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away, slipping his chin away from Raihan’s hand. “…I’m sorry… not tonight.”

The heat in Raihan’s gut died at the pain in Leon’s expression. He wanted nothing more than to gather Leon close and stroke away that unhappy look, but knew that was the exact opposite of what Leon needed. He gently let him go and took a step back.

“Alright,” he said softly, his heart sinking.

Leon took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. His face had grown red, and he turned away, starting to gather up his things. “I’m sorry…” As he started to the door, he ducked his head, speaking quietly. “...m… maybe some other time…”

A spark of hope alighted in Raihan’s chest.

“So that’s not a no?”

Leon paused near the door, his cheeks darkening further, though he still didn’t look at Raihan.

“...I don’t recall saying no.”

Raihan’s heart lifted.

“Good,” Raihan started gathering up his own things, and his next words tumbled out of his mouth, though he had no idea where they’d come from. “I would wait until the end of time for you.”

Leon stared at him for a long moment, then he swallowed audibly.

“Hopefully you won’t have to wait that long… but… we’ll have to see.”

With that, he turned and slipped out the door, not seeming to realize that he was still fully nude. Raihan grinned wide and decided not to tell him, staying behind to dress himself and let Leon reap the consequences of his actions.

Only a moment passed before there was a startled noise from the hall, and Leon came bursting back through the door, slamming it behind him. His face was burning red and he hastily started redressing himself. 

“Forget something?” Raihan asked with false innocence.

Once his clothes were back on, Leon stormed over to Raihan and gave him a hard punch to his shoulder.

“Bastard.”

Raihan roared with laughter and fell back against the wall. Despite the hard hit, his eyes shone with mirth.

“I'm sorry! I'm sorry, you just went out there and I just… Gods, your _face!_ ”

Leon was clearly irritated, though there was still warmth in his eyes as he met Raihan’s.

“You’re such an ass… I’m going back to the room.”

With a great huff, Leon once again left the bathing room, leaving the door open behind him, his heavy footfalls taking him all the way back to the room. A familiar voice came from the hall.

“E-er, Leon? I uh…” The sound of a door closing cut off the rest of what Piers had to say.

Raihan slid his boots back on and left the bathing room, his wet cloak under one arm. 

“Piers?” he asked.

“Ah, hey Raihan,” Piers said, turning toward him, He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “Seems like Leon was pretty flustered.”

“That would be correct,” Raihan said cheerfully.

Piers gave him a slight frown, folding his arms.

“Nothin’ you did, I hope?’

“Maybe a little,” Raihan conceded, and looked absolutely unrepentant. 

Piers gave him an unimpressed look, but finally shook his head.

“None’ve my business anyway. I came to deliver this to Leon, but looks like he’s too flustered ta take it… so I’m gonna to give it t’you ta pass along.” He held out a money pouch, full and heavy.

Raihan took the pouch and his eyes widened at the weight. 

“W-what? Is this…” He peeked inside, and gaped as the coins were all gold and silver, not a single copper coin in the lot. “This… this is a _lot._ ”

Piers shrugged.

“Let’s just say… I owe Leon. And this is me payin’ him back.”

“R-right. Okay. Uh… wow. Thanks, Piers.”

“Yer welcome.” Piers gave him an odd look, as if sizing him up. “An’ if you plan on livin’ off that coin, can y’promise me one thing?”

“Depends,” Raihan said carefully. “What is it?”

“Just ta stick with him until y’get back to Hammerlocke. Even if… it takes longer than y’think.”

Raihan searched Piers’ face, looking for some meaning behind the cryptic request, but found nothing in his carefully guarded expression.

“Yeah,” Raihan finally said. “I promise.”

Piers nodded to him, his thin shoulders relaxing slightly.

“Thanks. Well, safe travels to y’both. Winter’s been pretty angry this year.”

“Yeah,” Raihan said slowly, watching him leave. “Will do.” 

He watched Piers disappear around a corner, then looked back at the heavy coin pouch. More mysteries, he thought, and someone else who seemed to know more about what was going on than Raihan did. Giving one more look down the hall, he followed Leon into their room.


	23. Melting Snow - Chapter 5

They spent another night in Spikemuth and left with the dawn. Though the sky was clear as they left Spikemuth’s walls behind, dark, heavy clouds rolled in as the hours passed, hanging low across the sky. When they paused for lunch at midday, the first fat flakes of snow began to fall. They packed up immediately and made haste, hoping to reach civilization before the snow could get worse. By midafternoon, the snowfall had grown into a winter storm, and all either of them could see was a wave of white. Wind howled and lashed against them, beating them with the sharp sting of icy snowflakes. 

Raihan’s foot sank deeper than the previous step, sinking into a knee-deep snowbank, and he stumbled to a halt. He looked around, but saw nothing but Leon beside him and the endless barrage of snow. 

“Leon!” he shouted over the wind. “Leon, stop! If we keep going, we risk losing the road, if we haven’t already!”

Leon paused in his steps, still reluctant to stop, but he finally turned and nodded to Raihan, yelling back to him.

“You’re right! Should we try and set up camp here?”

“We have to, or we’ll freeze!” 

“Come on, then!” Leon called, slipping his pack off of his back, “let’s get to it!”

The land around them was a flat expanse of field and hills, without even trees for shelter, so they pitched their tent right where they stood. The effort needed both of them, battling wind and snow to get the tent pitched. Once finished, they finally retreated inside and out of the storm with no small gratitude. The wind howled against the tent, shaking the walls hard enough that Raihan genuinely feared that the leather and canvas would rip off from the wooden poles and leave them exposed.

“Nothing to do but hunker down and wait it out,” Raihan said, trying not to let on to how unnerved he felt. He dropped his pack beside him and settled down on the floor of the tent.

Leon dropped his own things in the opposite corner and sat down beside Raihan. He let out a heavy sigh, grumbling.

“Damn this storm…” he muttered bitterly, “perhaps if we’d left Spikemuth sooner…”

“With a storm like this, I’m wondering if we should have stayed another day. A warm bed sure sounds nice right about now…”

“It sure does,” Leon said, pulling his cloak tighter around himself. “Guess we’ll have to huddle up pretty close tonight…”

“It might actually be best to change into some dry clothes and share the same bedroll,” Raihan said. “I know we’ve been spending nights outside for weeks now, but I’m _already_ cold, and the sun isn’t even down yet. At least. I don’t think it’s down. Hard to tell with how dark the clouds are…”

Raihan shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. Leon nodded, and slid his cloak off, and began to quickly change into his dry set of clothes . Raihan followed his lead and also changed.

“I’m all for huddling up right now and waiting it out,” Leon said through chattering teeth.

“Agreed. Hell, there’s no way we’ll manage a fire in this either,” Raihan said, shoving his wet clothes into a far corner of the tent. “At least if the snow builds up outside it’ll help insulate the tent.” 

The dry clothing didn’t feel any warmer as he put it on, but he knew it would warm up faster than the wet clothes.

“I say we eat now, then squeeze into your bedroll, and bundle up with blankets. We can use my bedroll as another blanket, too,” Raihan said.

“All right,” Leon said, rubbing his hands together as he pulled out some of the preserved rations, handing some to Raihan. They ate quickly and in relative quiet before they set about bundling up against the cold. Raihan had no idea how much time had passed, but by the time they slid into the single bedroll together, it was fully dark, and they were fumbling around by feel. 

“Okay, I think— Ah, that’s my elbow, Lee! Move a little to the right. No, _my_ right!”

“Well, stop wiggling so much,” Leon said, a firm hand gripping his arm, “relax a second and then I’ll adjust.”

“I can’t relax, I’m freezing my ass off!” Raihan complained, but fell still and let Leon settle against him.

“It’s still on you, I’m sure,” Leon muttered, and adjusted a bit more. He finally relaxed into a position against Raihan’s chest and let out a soft sigh.

“Are you sure? You might want to check,” Raihan teased, though he was truthfully too cold to follow up on it.

“Hm,” Leon toned, burying his face into Raihan’s dry tunic and snuggling more tightly against him, “maybe in an hour I’ll make sure it’s still there.”

“Sounds good to me,” Raihan said, wrapping his arms around Leon’s thick frame.

They fell into silence then, accompanied only by the flapping of the tent walls and the eerie wail of the wind outside. There was hardly room to move in the single bedroll, but it was so cold that moving felt like an unnecessary amount of work, and they sought heat and comfort in each other's arms instead. As their combined body heat slowly warmed their little shelter, Raihan slowly drifted into sleep.

The storm continued on through the night, though the winds had quieted a bit by the time Leon began shifting about in Raihan’s arms. Perhaps it was the cold, perhaps it was their close quarters, or maybe it was something else that left Leon less fitful that night. Only a single, soft whimper escaped him into the space between them.

Raihan half awoke, used to the nightmares by now, though even in his barely awake state did he notice that the nightmare wasn’t nearly as severe as he was used to.

“Shhh…” Raihan soothed. “S’okay, Leon… I’m here. I’m safe. Go to sleep, Lee.”

“R… Raihan…?” Leon murmured, one of his hands groping blindly around in the dark, close quarters.

“Yeah, Lee, I’m here,” Raihan caught his hand and held it tight.

“Mm, good,” Leon said sleepily, holding tightly onto his hand and quickly started drifting back to sleep.

Raihan let out a gentle sigh and followed him back into sleep, with hardly another thought about nightmares.

* * *

Morning broke with brilliant sunshine, blindingly bright against the snow. They had to dig to clear the entrance to their tent, but at least they hadn’t been completely buried. The world around them was an endless expanse of white, utterly featureless in every direction.

After a quick breakfast, the two packed everything up and got prepared to set out. Leon squinted out over the blinding horizon, trying to make out any helpful features in any direction.

“Hell,” he said, a burst of pale white coming with his breaths, “damn that storm, it’s made it nearly impossible to know where we came from or where we were going…”

“No farms, no signs, no trees… Can’t even tell where the road is,” Raihan said.

“Dammit,” Leon cursed, and tried to make anything out from their small encampment. He finally let out a sigh, pointing to some very slight divots in the snow.

“That’s my best guess as to where we came from, but it’s not a good guess. And we may have already gotten turned around when the storm started up. But if we follow in the general direction we seem to have been headed… we’d be going that way.” He pointed in one direction, which seemed as good as any other.

“Well, I don’t have any better ideas,” Raihan said. “So, lead the way!”

Leon shook his head, but started off through the snow.

“If nothing else, if we find civilization, I’ll take it, at this point,” he muttered, trekking a path through the snow.

“We’ve got to bump into something eventually,” Raihan said. “We’ll just regain our bearings once we do.”

“Yes,” Leon agreed, “we’ll hope that we find something sooner than ‘eventually’.”

* * *

The pair discovered that they had, indeed, lost the road. After a day of trekking through snow banks and uneven ground, they stumbled across a road, though if it was the one they’d originally been traveling on or not was another matter. With few other options, they followed it. Over the next few days, the terrain gradually became more hilly and rocky, trees appearing more frequently, until they were hiking up a forested mountainside.

“Pretty sure there’s no mountains around Hammerlock,” Raihan noted, walking a few steps behind Leon.

“Would you rather we turn around?” Leon asked, shifting the pack on his shoulders as they slowly climbed up the trail.

“After we’ve been on this road for five days? No,” Raihan admitted.

“Mmhm,” Leon answered, “so we’d probably best just find us some civilization so we can get our bearings and maybe even a warm bed, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Raihan sighed. “Good thing we never got around to buying horses. They’d never make it up this trail.”

“It’s true… though it does still mean that _we_ have to make it up this trail.” 

“Such a pity, that,” Raihan said, then took on a teasing tone. “It’s a good thing you’re in the lead. I'm better suited to watching the view from back here.”

Leon’s cheeks flushed slightly, and not from the cold.

“Is that so?” he questioned, “You’d best watch your step so you don’t miss the more important view of the trail in front of you, hm?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Raihan grinned. “If I fall, I’ll be sure to land where there is _plenty_ of cushioning.”

On the steep trail, Raihan’s eyes were at a convenient level with Leon’s ample rear. The pants he wore weren’t a well-tailored fit, and instead hugged his backside a little too tightly, much to Raihan’s delight.

Leon sighed, shaking his head, though his lips curled up slightly.

“How am I _not_ supposed to take that as an insult?”

“Oh, no worries, Lee. From what I can tell, it’s solid muscle.”

“You bold bastard.”

Raihan laughed brightly.

“Hey, I’m just telling the tru—”

With his attention on Leon’s rear instead of the trail, his foot caught on an icy rock and he slipped, only just managing to avoid falling on his face. 

Leon chuckled, turning to look at him, wearing a smug look on his regal face.

“How’s that view treating you?”

Raihan brushed the snow off his knees and regained his composure.

“ _Worth it._ ”

A small amount of slyness slid into Leon’s expression.

“Even though all you got was a look?”

“I can be patient,” Raihan said. “And we really _do_ need to get up this mountain.”

“Patience _is_ a virtue, I’m told,” Leon said as he turned and started back up the trail. “Just how virtuous are you, Raihan?”

“That’s a trick question, if ever I’ve heard one!” Raihan laughed. “Just how virtuous would you like me to be?”

“As virtuous as you must to keep yourself from following through with your every whim… which if I have been hearing only a small amount of them, you seem to be doing quite well at so far.”

Raihan laughed in return and slowed to a stop as the trail crested over a ridge, revealing a wide, expansive view of the landscape. Nestled in a small valley below them was a city, with short, blocky buildings and what seemed to be a large pool in the center of it all. 

“Hey, that’s something! Let’s get down there and figure out where we are,” Raihan said.

“This is Circhester,” Leon said with confidence, starting down into the valley. “Thank the gods, there’s a hot spring here, do you see it?”

“That pool is a hot spring?” Raihan asked. “Oh, _hell_ yes! This is the best detour ever!”

Leon let out a soft laugh, walking alongside him.

“I’m glad that all this has been worth it, then… because we are sure as hell going to get in that hot spring.”

“Definitely!” Raihan said with renewed energy, heading down the trail. “Oh, even just to soak for an hour… This cold has been absolute misery and I am _quite_ ready to have a break from it!”

“Most _definitely,_ ” Leon agreed, “a hot soak sounds so heavenly, even the cold aside, especially after all that hiking…”

“ No kidding,” Raihan said. “We've kept up a good walking pace, but climbing a mountain is worse. Far worse. My legs are killing me!”

Leon gave him a sideways glance, a small smile on his lips.

“Did you complain this much in the militia? Or are you just missing a more cushy life in the capital?”

“I’d like to say the latter, but I still don’t remember much of Hammerlocke,” Raihan said. He’d been getting little flashes of memory, just bits and pieces as they traveled, mostly brief images or sounds, and occasional smells, but nothing of major substance. “And, trust me. Every soldier is good at complaining. You just have to know to shut your trap when an officer is nearby. I was always very careful not to get caught bitching, but I did my fair share.”

Leon watched him as they headed toward Circhester, a small smile still on his lips.

“Were you ever disciplined for anything? Bad behavior or otherwise?”

Raihan’s eyes glinted mischievously for only a moment before he faltered. He missed a step and stumbled, catching himself against a tree as his eyes unfocused.

“No. No, I… I was never caught. Never broke any actual rules… I wanted to be perfect. I _needed_ to be perfect.”

Leon paused beside him, looking startled.

“You… had to be perfect?”

“I… I had to make the higher-ups see how good I was. I had to be perfect. The best. So… so they’d let me… So I could…” Raihan closed his eyes, grasping for something in his tattered memories that was just out of reach. 

Leon rested a hand on his arm, holding him there solidly.

“...so you could… advance?” he asked gently.

“Yes. No. Almost? There was a… test? I…” Raihan grimaced and clung to Leon as he reached too far, and his vision went blurry before he dropped the memory. “Nope. Nothing more. Can’t reach it. I can tell, though. I spent years hiding it. Hiding how I really felt so I could look like a perfect soldier.”

Leon’s hand tightened on Raihan’s arm, and his voice was soft.

“...I understand what that’s like.”

“You do?” Raihan asked, looking over at him.

Leon nodded, a bit of vulnerability leaking into his expression and tone.

“Yes… my… my position requires a lot of formality and presentation. I… I sometimes feel as though my true self must be cast aside in favor of my duty.”

“Yeah,” Raihan said, nodding slowly. “That’s it exactly. It's strange. I know my mind is… altered, but this is the most free I've felt in years.”

Leon’s smile warmed, taking more of his face, and his hand held tighter to Raihan’s arm.

“...I’m glad. It… it is quite a pleasant experience to be out here with no responsibilities, just the world to see…”

Raihan put a hand atop Leon’s.

“And good company to see it with,” he said softly with a warm smile.

Leon smiled warmly back at him, giving Raihan’s hand a squeeze.

“Agreed.”

His gaze gained that spark of mischief again, and he slipped away from Raihan’s grasp.

“Present company’s wandering, hungry eyes aside, of course.”

“Okay, okay! Let’s just get to this hot spring!”

Raihan laughed and they started down the mountainside together.

* * *

“Oh, I am _so_ excited for this.”

They’d made it to Circhester without incident, secured a room at the inn, then promptly headed directly for the spring, eager to warm up. Leon led the way into the hot spring, which was a large, open bath, certainly a lot nicer than any of the baths they’d been in prior. He stopped in one back corner of the bath, far away from anyone else and hesitantly began disrobing.

“Is this your first time experiencing a hot spring, Raihan?” he asked.

“Yep. It’s definitely more organized than I expected. I thought there’d just be this big natural pool that anyone could get in,” Raihan said, following Leon’s lead.

“This is the biggest and most well-maintained hot spring in Galar,” Leon said confidently, finally nude except for his hat, and he scampered toward the water.

Raihan removed the last of his clothing and shivered. 

“Gods, it’s freezing out here!” He scurried to the pool edge, hurrying across the cold stone and dipped one foot in the water. “Ohhhh, yes…”

Raihan slid into the steaming water, submerging down to his neck, and let out a positively sinful moan. Leon’s cheeks were a little red as he slid into the water near him, and as he settled into the water, it was his turn to let out a soft, happy moan.

“Oh… yes…” Leon murmured, his eyes drooping with the heat.

Raihan’s toes curled at Leon’s moan, part of him wishing it were in a different context. His mind didn’t move any further than that, however, sinking into a pleasantly numb haze as he relaxed into the water. After they had soaked a while, Leon finally took off his hat, setting it on the side of the pool. He took a breath and dunked his head under the water, coming back up a moment later with wet, unruly hair.

The minutes passed in a hazy silence before Raihan finally spoke.

“I have enjoyed your company and friendship, Leon, but I'm afraid I've found my true love, and it’s this pool right here. I’m afraid I won’t be leaving this pool for the rest of my life.”

Leon let out a laugh, light and nearly a giggle.

“Ah, I understand… though we might have to duel for the honor of this pool’s love, as I feel the same.”

“A challenge? A duel for our fair aquatic love?” Raihan’s eyes gleamed and he grinned wide. “Name your battlefield.”

“Hm… I may have to wait until I am out of its warm embrace to say any names… it entrances my mind so fully, it’s hard to think of much else…”

“Oh? Perhaps we are the ones falling victim to seduction, and not the other way around,” Raihan said, leaning his head back against the stone pool edge.

“I have no doubts of that… its wiles are working well on me,” Leon toned, and made a half-hearted motion through the water. “...rapscallion…”

Raihan laughed, caught up on how ridiculous and formal “rapscallion” was.

“Perhaps I am willing to share my fate,” Raihan finally said. “So long as it's with you.”

“Yes,” Leon said, his eyes still sleepy, “there’s no one else I’d rather be trapped in a pool with.”

Raihan’s eyes shone and he looked at him fondly.

“Agreed.”

Leon finally started moving again, and started to wash his hair. The shampoo at the hot spring was much nicer than what they’d had prior, and Leon was visibly relieved by it. Raihan watched him in silence for a while as Leon lathered his purple hair with the natural soaproot the hot spring caretakers had provided.

“Why do you hide your hair?” he finally asked. “At first I just thought you were self-conscious about it being a weird color, but you’re far too neurotic about it for that.” 

Leon’s hands slowed in their motions, and he looked around them, making sure there wasn’t anyone near enough to overhear their conversation.

“Ah… well… purple hair is a distinct sign of nobility… and I’d much rather blend in than cause a fuss.”

“Nobility?”

Raihan had a brief moment of disorientation where he felt like he _should_ be surprised, but wasn’t. There wasn’t a distinct memory that came back to him, but somehow he knew, though whether it was because he’d pulled this knowledge from his tattered memory, or because he’d pieced it together himself, he didn’t know.

“I know I’m not in the militia anymore, but I’m still doing something that requires my skills to be sharp. ...I’m a guard, right?” Raihan had suspected it for a while, but now with the revelation that Leon wasn’t just wealthy, but came from actual nobility, he had another piece of the puzzle. “Am I _your_ guard? Your personal guard?”

Leon was quiet a moment, rinsing out his hair. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, with a hint of shyness.

“...yes.”

Raihan fell silent, considering this new information and the possible implications, and idly began washing himself. If Raihan was employed by Leon, that could certainly explain why they hadn’t hooked up yet— except for the fact that they _literally_ slept in each other’s arms. Sure, Leon was noble and Raihan was a commoner. Stranger things had happened. He sighed. Still too many unanswered questions, too many missing pieces.

Leon finished washing his hair, and it lay mostly flat, though was still quite messy, even when wet. He quietly started washing himself with the soap, glancing over at Raihan once or twice as he did so.

It didn’t matter, Raihan firmly thought. Whatever Past Raihan’s problem was, it was Past Raihan’s problem, not his. He pushed the worry from his mind and caught Leon’s eye when he glanced over a third time. 

“So… as your _personal_ guard, the same guard that spoons you through your nightmares every night, clearly it wouldn’t be outside my line of duty to assist you with your bath?” Raihan said, a sly gleam in his eye.

Leon gave him a slightly unimpressed look, though his eyes were warm and bright.

“I am entertaining your thought, though mostly because my limbs would rather not move in these heavenly waters…”

Raihan smirked and slid closer to him.

“That’s not a no…” he said, lathering up a bathing cloth with soaproot. 

Leon shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips.

“I suppose not. Well, who am I to deny you the duty you are clamoring for?”

Raihan smiled and lovingly washed Leon’s back, gently working the soap into his shoulders, sliding down along the smooth curve of his back. Leon let out a soft sigh, relaxing under Raihan’s hands and the warm water. At the encouraging response, Raihan took his time, exploring his muscled back with only the soft cloth separating his hands from Leon’s skin. He worked up his back, along his shoulders, and up along his neck before he felt another strange disconnect. As he continued his tender cleaning, he could almost feel hands on his own back, gently and carefully washing him in return. Raihan’s hands slowed and his eyes fell out of focus as he became more aware of the sensation. Strange… it was almost as if… 

The memory struck him full force, and Raihan lurched forward and clung to Leon with a ragged gasp.

_Pain. Gods, he was in so much pain, but it was better than earlier. A hot bath, a luxurious soak, strong, large hands tenderly washing his back and hair. Those same hands carefully parting his robe to bandage his wounds with soft touches that burned in his gut like fire. Being carefully escorted to his bed, a last gentle touch, words almost said but died in his throat. Finally alone, the ghost of warm hands burning through his heart, sprawling alone on his bed as he fantasized until passion overtook him._

Raihan gasped again as the memory, so powerfully tied to emotion, finally let him go, and he returned to the here and now.

Leon slowly turned around, searching Raihan’s face with worry in his eyes, one hand reaching out toward him.

“...another memory?” he asked softly.

Raihan nodded and was, for once, blushing.

“Yeah. Another memory.”

Leon looked startled by his expression, but his own was warm and concerned.

“...was it… an upsetting memory?”

“Uh… hard to say,” Raihan said. 

He swallowed. Up to this point, he’d told Leon every memory he’d regained, and they’d both been encouraged by the slow, but steady progress. But this memory was… 

“I’d been… injured, somehow. Badly,” He looked down at his naked form. “An explanation for some of these new scars, it seems. You were doting on me. Washing my hair, my back. Tending to my wounds.”

Leon looked away from his gaze, a little bit of red appearing on his own cheeks. His voice was still quiet and a little tentative.

“Yes… I remember. I… I was concerned about you.”

“I was so grateful for your… worry, I guess. Grateful that you wanted to care for me. ...But… uh…” Raihan’s blush deepened. “I wanted your touch so badly… and by the time that you laid me in my bed I couldn’t stop thinking about your gentle, strong hands… So I kept thinking about them.” 

Raihan’s blush reached a peak as he forced out the last words and looked away.

“I kept thinking about them all over my sheets.”

Leon’s eyes went wide and his blush spread like wildfire across his cheeks and down to his neck. He reached over to lightly smack Raihan’s arm.

“R-Raihan!!” he hissed out, clearly quite flustered by this news, “w-we’re in _public!!_ ”

Raihan gestured wildly to the largely empty pool.

“And there is _no one_ around!” he exclaimed, but the heat died quickly and his shoulders slumped. “Why? I wanted you so badly… more than anything in the world. I know that now. So why didn't we… why did I feel so strongly that I needed to _hide_ it?”

Leon’s face fell, and he avoided Raihan’s eyes, staring down at the calm water around them. 

“...I… I also wanted you. More than anything in the world.”

Leon swallowed, his face heating up with a blush again.

“...I still do. But… there were obstacles in our way…”

“Obstacles…” Raihan said, and despite his earlier reassurances to himself, his face fell and true despair crept into his eyes. “You said you were nobility… Is it because I’m common stock? Are we… can we never…” 

Leon suddenly grabbed Raihan’s hands, holding them both tightly, his voice firm.

“That has _never_ mattered to me... not once.” He searched Raihan’s eyes, his own full of longing and pain. “I would have you in a heartbeat if I could... and gods I've been tempted... you're so cheerful and happy, so fewer worries without being burdened by some of your memories…”

Leon shook his head, his golden eyes glistening with tears that didn't fall. 

“...but no. I _will_ have you. But I need you to be whole… I need _all_ of you.”

“All of me,” Raihan said slowly. “Including the memories that hurt me. That made me… cold? Because we _were_ cold, weren’t we? Cold and professional.”

“Yes,” Leon admitted, squeezing his hands gently, “but those memories are part of you. And I…” He took a sharp breath before he continued. “I love every part of you. The happy and the sad. We just both… were often only able to show each other the saddest parts of ourselves.”

Raihan took a moment to digest this and nodded slowly in understanding.

“Please… can you promise me one thing?” He finally said. “Because I… I can't… I don't remember, I don't know!”

“It’s all right…” Leon said soothingly, stroking his hands, “I’ll promise you anything.”

“Promise me that once I'm whole… if— _when_ my memories all return, we won't go back to… to whatever we were before. To secrets and cold and heartache,” Tears welled in Raihan’s eyes as he finally said what his heart had been begging to say for much longer than a few weeks. “I love you. I've been falling in love with you — again, apparently — and I can't… I just can't…”

His throat closed up and he ducked his head, unable to continue.

“Shhh…” Leon soothed softly, and he slipped forward, wrapping his strong arms around Raihan, holding him close. “...that heartache is… is my fault. I am sorry. I-I’ll—”

Emotion overtook his voice, and he paused a moment before continuing.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you with me. ...I promise.”

Raihan hugged him tightly back and shed a few tears before he got himself under control.

“Okay… okay. Thank you.”

Leon stroked his back gently, slipping some of his hair over his shoulders.

“You’re welcome. I wish to be as near to you as I can… as often as I can be.”

They stood in each other's embrace amidst the warm water long enough for their skin to prune, and finally the heat of the spring started to become a bit much.

“W-we might want to get out,” Leon said, “I think I'm starting to get a little light-headed from the heat…” 

“Ah, the spring has proven to be a fickle mistress,” Raihan lamented, “perhaps she is best left as a weekend lover.”

Leon let out a startled laugh as he climbed out of the pool and began to towel off.

“Perhaps you're right. And just as well, since we'll be leaving her all too soon.”

“Farewell, sweet mistress!” Raihan called, following him out of the pool. “May your waters forever warm the souls of all who bathe in them!”

“I suppose this means we have no further need to duel, either,” Leon commented, glancing over at Raihan as they both began to dress themselves.

“How fortunate for you,” Raihan said with a smirk.

Leon laughed again, the motion interrupting him from putting on his hat.

“You really are a cocky bastard,” Leon said fondly as he carefully slipped his hair back under his hat.

“Thank you,” Raihan said, then slapped Leon on the back. “Now come on! I think there’s some dinner somewhere with our name on it!”

* * *

They spent another two nights in Circhester before heading south. As mountains faded into foothills, the air began to warm. At first, Raihan simply thought it was because they’d left the mountains behind, but he was surprised to see green buds on the trees and hear birdsong in the air, signalling that spring was on the way. 

The road led them to Stow-on-Side, a bustling city nestled right up against a cliff face amid the hills. Raihan looked around curiously as they strode through the streets, surprised at how busy it was this early in the morning. Unlike what he would expect from a big city, there weren’t swarms of people going all about their business, but a hoard of people all dressed in similar work clothes, headed in one direction.

“What’s going on?” Raihan asked Leon after a moment. “They can’t possibly _all_ be miners.”

“There was a cave-in,” Leon said confidently, tugging anxiously on his hat as the workers passed them. “There have been ongoing efforts to clear out the mines after an earthquake hit this area.”

Once the workers had mostly passed, Leon frowned slightly, pausing in his steps.

“Should I even ask how you know that?” Raihan said with a smile, slowing to a stop beside him.

“Well, it’s pretty common knowledge in this area, but…” Leon smiled at him and shook his head. “You’re welcome to ask how _I_ know, though you probably won’t get a satisfying answer.”

“I figured. Well, now what? Resupply and head back out?”

Leon looked back over in the direction the workers had gone in, chewing on his lower lip slightly.

“Perhaps. I just…” He frowned, looking at Raihan. “I know how affected the people here were… if we could check in and see how the relief efforts are doing…”

“Yeah?” Raihan asked, looking at Leon curiously. “Sure, if you want.”

“Thank you,” Leon said gratefully, and started leading the way toward the entrance to the mines that the workers had been approaching. Once there, he glanced around at the setup, looking at it with a critical eye, then nudged Raihan and pointed out one of the supervisors.

“Can you ask him how the efforts are going?”

“Me? Sure, I guess.”

Raihan strode over to the burly man Leon had pointed out.

“Hey there!” he said with a wave, “How’s the cleanup going?”

The man regarded Raihan with a curious look before answering.

“Could be going better. We got nearly done with things thanks to the relief we got from Hammerlocke, but we lost a wave of workers a couple days ago. A lot of ‘em needed to get back to their home fields for planting season, and we haven't gotten word if we'll be gettin’ any more help to replace ‘em.”

“Oh,” Raihan looked at the groups of people heading for the caves. “So you’re short handed.”

He nodded, folding his thick arms across his broad chest.

“Can’t blame ‘em, we all gotta do what we gotta do… and they’d been working here for a while already. We’re making decent headway, but it was definitely a blow to lose ‘em.”

“How many did you lose?” Leon asked, walking over to them.

The man looked even more surprised as Leon entered the conversation, but he answered.

“‘Bout thirty or fourty of ‘em had to leave,” he said, “took a real hit, we did, and we can’t spare miners on the cleanup if we want to keep workin’ the mines that _are_ up and runnin’.”

“Yes, I see,” Leon said, nodding. “I know there’s only two of us, but…” He glanced at Raihan for approval as he continued, “if we can help at all for a couple days while we’re here…”

Raihan was surprised at the request, but gave Leon a nod. Interesting. Wasn’t Leon nobility? He must be unlike any noble Raihan had known, if he was willing to do back-breaking work out of the blue.

Maybe that was why Old Raihan liked him.

The burly man looked even more surprised, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, uh… we sure wouldn’t turn down two willing workers. You two just passing through, then?”

“For now, yes. But it wouldn’t hurt us to stop for a few days,” Raihan said.

He shrugged and gave them both a wide, toothy grin.

“We’d love to have ya for as long as you wanna help, then.”

“Of course,” Leon said, “we’ll find an inn to stow our things in, and then return here.”

“A-all right,” the man said, still looking rather out of sorts after gaining two able bodied workers out of nowhere.

“A bit odd, isn’t it?” Raihan asked as they got their things situated and headed back for the mines. “I’d gotten the impression that you were anxious to get back to Hammerlock. What changed?”

Leon looked a bit embarrassed as he responded, anxiously making sure all his hair was beneath his hat.

“I’m sorry… I really would like to get back to Hammerlocke as soon as possible, but… it’s difficult to not feel the need to help where I can. Even if it’s just a little bit.”

“Knowing what I do about you, I’m not surprised,” Raihan said. He glanced significantly at the hat concealing Leon’s purple hair, “but do you know what you’re getting into?”

Leon frowned slightly, looking confused.

“What exactly do you mean?”

“Yeah, we’ve been walking and hiking for the past… let’s see, we’ve been on the road for a month or so now? You’re obviously in good shape, and you _claim_ to be an excellent fighter, too. But none of that is the same as hard labor. You sure you want to haul rock all day?”

“Perhaps I won’t be as effective as some,” Leon admitted, “but I’d like to try. And I’m sure there’s somewhere I can help, even if I’m unable to make it as a hard laborer.”

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Raihan grinned. “Let’s see what we can do.”

Upon reaching the affected area, they were put quickly to work hauling rock. From how deep they’d had to go, it was obvious that the damage had been extremely extensive, and he could see how it must have taken months to clear away. The mineshaft was narrow, but well-lit by torches and was full of workers. Though it was still chilly outside, between the hard work, the torch fire, and the many working bodies, the shaft was actually quite toasty, and Raihan soon slipped his shirt off and tied it around his waist to cool off.

Leon worked beside him without complaint, even with the hard work and hot conditions. There were plenty of torches lit so they could see what they were doing and avoid accidents, and it was pretty obvious as Leon stole glances at his shirtless form.

After the upteenth time, Raihan finally flashed Leon a grin.

“Like what you see?”

Leon’s red cheeks were obvious and he looked away quickly.

“Perhaps,” he answered, “and I must admit, the number of scars you have makes you even more fascinating to look at.”

“I sure do have a handful, don’t I? You know, I got a bundle of them right here in Stow-on-Side.”

“Is that so?” Leon asked, glancing sideways at him, “Which ones?”

“These, right here,” Raihan set down the bucket of rock in his hands and gestured to a series of short, inch long scars that made an arc over his torso, front and back.

“Those?” Leon asked, leaning in toward him to get a better look, “they almost look like…”

“Teeth?” Raihan supplied.

“Yes,” Leon replied.

Raihan’s grin widened as he got back to work.

“I was posted here oh… six or seven years ago, I think. The militia was called in to deal with a dragon terrorizing the smaller villages outside town. I’m out there, sure that a dragon wouldn’t rampage without any reason, so I go to find out what all the fuss is about before someone does something stupid and kills the thing. Now, the reports had said the dragon just appeared and disappeared out of thin air, so I go snooping around one night outside of camp and boom! This shark dragon just leaps out the ground like a fish out of water!”

He gestured wildly and grabbed the next haul of rock. Leon raised his eyebrows, but didn’t pause in his work.

“That’s incredible,” he said, though it wasn't with quite the enthusiasm Raihan usually saw from those he told this story to.

“So, I try to calm it down, but it was injured and angry, and comes charging at me. I dodge it, and it dives into the ground and just vanishes. So I just kind of freeze, trying to figure out how to play this, and it leaps out of the ground from right under me and has me tight in its jaws. Then it starts to sink back into the earth, taking me with it, and I’m just like ‘Oh gods, this is it.’ Now dragons have this sensitive spot right under their chin and it’s a surefire way to get any dragon to calm down, but I’m at a weird angle and I feel like I’m being chomped in half, so by the time I reach it, we’re both almost totally submerged. Then I get that spot just right, and it starts purring and lets me go and climbs out of the dirt begging for scratches like a dog.”

Raihan spoke airily, clearly not minding that he’d almost died, playing off his injuries like a dramatic part of a grand tale. By the end of the story, Leon was staring at him, wide-eyed and mouth open slightly. He looked like he’d completely forgotten about their work.

“H-hell,” he finally murmured, rubbing the lower half of his face. “That’s not—” He cut himself off, then continued a moment later. “I can’t believe how close you came to…”

“To what? Being eaten?” Raihan shrugged. “Wouldn’t have been the first time.”

Leon let out a sigh, clearly composing himself before he turned back to his work.

“I suppose not… with how long you served in the military.”

Raihan glanced at him, and finally saw how bothered Leon was. 

“Hey,” he said, and caught Leon’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m okay and I’m here, and that’s what matters.”

Leon gasped gently, looking up at Raihan with wide, worried eyes. He took a deep breath, and put one hand over Raihan’s, squeezing it.

“Yes… yes, you’re right.”

Raihan gave his shoulder a squeeze and grinned reassuringly. 

“You don’t need to worry about me, Lee. Now come on, we’re slacking off!”

Leon took a breath, a smile finding his face, a smile that was growing wider and more bright each day they traveled together.

“Right, of course. We’d best get back to work.”

* * *

The sun had set by the time they made it back to the inn. Raihan was sore all through his arms, shoulders and legs. Judging by the stiff way Leon walked, he was faring even worse.

“How are you holding up?” Raihan asked.

Leon only groaned in response, dropping face-down onto the bed, still fully clothed.

Raihan laughed.

“That bad, huh? I tried to warn you.”

Leon mumbled something into the blankets, but it was incomprehensible. He finally rolled over onto his back and let out another groan.

“Everything hurts… how does _everything_ hurt?...”

Raihan gave him a sympathetic smile and sat on the bed beside him.

“Too bad we don’t have that hot spring now, huh?”

A longing sigh escaped Leon, and he stared at the ceiling as he pouted.

“Yes… too bad… if only there were one in Stow-on-Side, too…”

“I’d like my own personal hot spring,” Raihan said, waving a hand as he imagined it, “that I can take everywhere I go. Can you imagine? Hot baths every day?”

Leon finally smiled up at him, despite his tired expression.

“...I can imagine. What about you? A rough army man like you… aren’t you used to bath rooms stuffed full of dirty men, or would you prefer the plush, soft life of luxury?”

“Can't I have the best of both worlds? The challenge of being a warrior with the luxury of a hot bath and a soft bed?” Raihan sank back onto the bed beside Leon. He stared up at the ceiling and his smile faded. “…the luxury of safety and security?”

Leon’s smile also slipped away, watching Raihan instead of the ceiling.

“...yes. I… I’d like it if everyone had those luxuries. But…”

“But reality is a harsh mistress,” Raihan sighed. “I don’t think I could live in too much luxury anyway. I need to _do_ things.”

“Is that so?” Leon asked, “what would your ideal life be like?”

“Helping people,” Raihan said without hesitation. “I'm a warrior, it's what I do. I've spent years traveling the kingdom and making peace between dragons, beasts, and people. Or else killing those who wouldn’t listen to reason and insisted on being a threat, like bandits. But… I dunno. I don't think I want to keep doing that. It's taxing. And I've had too many close calls, I think. Maybe I’d prefer to be more of a city watchman. Stopping crime within a city, but still able to go home to a house with a nice bed at the end of a day, not a camp or barracks.”

He rolled onto his side to face Leon and propped his head up with one hand. 

“What about you? What would you want to do?”

Leon looked a bit lost at the question for a moment before his eyes trailed back up to the ceiling.

“...as we just said, the luxuries of life are nice… though I think I would give them all up if I were to find the right reason to.” He took a sharp breath. “I also find myself also needing to help others. So as relaxing as it sounds to steal away to a cabin in the middle of the wilds… I'm not sure I ever could bring myself to seek such a life, no matter how much I wanted it.”

“Not one for solitude?” Raihan asked.

Leon’s reply was soft and almost vulnerable.

“...I’ve found I don’t do well with solitude.” He swallowed before continuing. “Nor the idea that I’m not doing all I can for others.”

Raihan gently took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Luxuries and helping people, without being alone…” he mused. “Sounds like Hammerlocke really is the place for you.”

Leon smiled back at him, squeezing his hand gently in return.

“Yes, that is where I am still headed.” He gave Raihan a coy smile. “Hopefully that doesn’t lead me toward the path of ‘lazy noble’… ”

Raihan laughed.

“Well, you’ve already admitted to me that you’re a noble, but you don’t seem lazy to me. If you can stomach it, maybe politics is up your alley. So long as you're one of those nobles who work to pass laws that help people, not bickering mindlessly for a full forty-five minutes about who has control over what in Circhester while the rest of us want to get on with the damn meeting so we can all leave.”

Raihan grinned, then sat bolt upright as he realized that example was far too specific. Leon also sat up, a gasp catching in his throat, watching Raihan with wide eyes. One of Leon’s hands clenched the bedsheets beneath them.

“I…”

The tattered remains of memory came back to him. He could remember that his back was stiff, that a strap on his armor was just a little too tight, just enough to be irritating. He remembered the grating sound of Melony and Gordie arguing, more alike than either of them cared to admit.

“I was there. Standing. Armor? Yes, armored. Bored as hell. A guard. I know I’m a guard but… but we were in the _castle._ ” He turned his eyes to Leon in shock. Leon wore one of those unreadable complex expressions of his, but he slowly nodded.

“...yes. I… I remember a meeting where what you describe occurred.” Exasperation leaked into his expression. “...truthfully, I remember _many_ meetings where such things happened, but…”

“So you were there, then?” Raihan said. “I _am_ your personal guard, and we were both at that meeting. But… Count Gordie and Countess Melody? And… and there were Dukes and Duchesses… Piers! Piers is a _Duke!_ That’s why he handed off so much money to us so easily!”

Raihan’s eyes searched Leon’s face.

“Who _are_ you, Leon?”

Something cracked in Leon’s expression.

“...I-I’m—”

“I know you were there. I was standing at your side, but… but I don’t see you… I was watching the table…Maybe if… I must have looked over at you at some point and—”

A now-familiar spike of pain drove through his head and his vision swam and threatened to go dark.

“ _Dammit!_ ”

Leon drew in a sharp breath and reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

“I-it’s all right… it’s okay… you’re still remembering, that’s good.”

Raihan sighed and wiped his face.

“More and more, piece by piece,” he said. “I’ll get there.”

“Yes,” Leon whispered. “You’re getting so close.”

Raihan gave him a small smile.

“Just have to keep moving forward. Maybe we’ll actually get to Hammerlocke someday, too.”

“We’ll get there,” Leon reassured him, “we’re getting closer each day we’re on the road.”

“Theoretically,” Raihan teased. “If we end up in Hulbury next, there’s no saving you!”

Leon groaned again and flopped back on the bed.

“Don’t even _joke_ about that! Heaven help me, we _will_ make it back to Hammerlocke!”

Raihan laughed and fell back next to him.

“Eventually.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, while we're on our grand accidental tour of Galar, Tears drew up a map of Galar! We shuffled a few things around so it's a little different from the canon game. 


	24. Melting Snow - Chapter 6

Another week, and the little remains of Raihan’s memories came faster and more frequently. He picked up more and more glimpses of his life in Hammerlocke, mostly in the castle, along with memories of an old warrior, a young woman who huffed a lot, and a kid that had to be the younger brother Leon was always writing to. After another very much unintentional scenic route, Hammerlocke was at last in sight, the towers of the castle looming far in the distance. The road took them through a small village on the way to the capital, and Raihan found himself looking around at the village with a frown, his brows furrowed.

Leon glanced at him as they entered the village, and as Raihan’s expression grew troubled, he reached over and gently took his hand. Raihan absently held his hand and gave it a squeeze.

He felt more out of sorts here than he had on the entire journey, like he was in two places at once, seeing through two different pairs of eyes. Occasionally, he would stare as he saw a building where he thought one shouldn’t be, or an old building that had been remodeled, and finally slowed to a halt in front of a cozy little inn.

“This…” he said slowly, “I grew up here. …I didn’t recognize it. It’s…changed.” 

Leon nodded, squeezing his hand gently.

“Yes… this town has grown quite a bit over the years.”

Raihan slowly approached the inn, keeping hold of Leon.

“The stable isn’t even in the same spot. It used to be over there,” he said, pointing, “I’d sleep in the far back stall on a straw mat. It shared a wall with the oven, so it stayed warmer through the night.”

“You’ve come a long way,” Leon said softly.

“Yeah… I guess I have.”

Raihan stumbled to a stop as they entered the inn, struck by how very different it was. He was assaulted by a variety of delicious smells, none of which he recognized from his childhood. Back then, they’d been extremely limited on what they could scrape together to cook, and the good food certainly never went to Aria or her little pot-scrubbing boy. The inn had been remodeled and was much larger and busier than he ever remembered, with a roaring fireplace against one wall and a little stage for entertainment. Leon gently led him further into the inn and toward a vacant table.

“Different in here too, it seems,” Leon commented softly.

“Yeah,” Raihan said, taking a seat at the table. “So much of this is new. Aria must be doing well for herself these last few—”

He cut off as he saw Aria herself, much more grey in her hair now, and found himself tongue-tied at that firm, motherly smile he remembered.

Leon glanced between Raihan and Aria, and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

“...would you like to say hello?” he asked gently.

“I… I don’t know. Do I? I haven’t seen her since I left for the militia. What would I even—” Raihan didn’t have a chance to finish as Aria spotted them and bustled over.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen! Will you be needing some rooms for the night or just a meal?”

Her smile was a little flat, like she’d given the same smile to another twenty people already this afternoon, and Raihan’s face fell. She didn’t recognize him. 

“Ah, well…” Leon said, glancing between the two of them, “perhaps a meal for now…”

“Of course!” Aria said, “We’ve got lamb stew, roast potatoes with beef, and chicken pot pies!”

Raihan bitterly found that he wasn’t surprised. She’d last seen him when he was seventeen, and he was scarred and far different from the gangly teenager he used to be. The justification didn’t make the ache in his heart hurt any less.

“Ah, thank you, Miss Aria,” Leon said, still glancing between them, “would you perchance—?”

Aria gave a little jump as Leon said her name.

“Do I know you? Have we… Oh! Oh, my goodness gracious!” She slapped her hand over her mouth in shock before hastily dipping into a deep curtsy. “Your Majesty, please forgive me! I did not recognize you!”

_Your Majesty?_

Raihan tensed, hands clenching at his sides.

Leon drew in a sharp breath, glancing around them and he spoke firmly, but not angrily.

“No, please… it’s all right. I do not wish to cause a scene.”

“O-oh, but…” Aria looked around, then lowered her voice. “Why are you here? I’ve heard rumors… People say you’re missing, that you haven’t been to the castle in _months!_ ” 

Leon gave her a tight smile. “There _are_ some interesting rumors floating about, aren’t there? I wanted to revisit some places… like your inn. You’ve truly made it beautiful.”

Aria blushed to her ears.

“Thank you, Majesty. Business has been very good and we’ve been able to expand… Oh! Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll get your food, the best we have! And it’s on the house, of course. It’s your endorsement that got us this far!”

She hustled away, quite flustered.

Raihan watched her retreating back, his face a stony mask, and sat absolutely, perfectly still. Leon turned to look at him, fear creeping into his golden eyes.

“...Raihan?” he asked tentatively.

Raihan held his silence for a moment longer.

“The king?” He finally said. He looked at Leon, expression unreadable, like shutters had closed over his previously open and expressive eyes. “You’re King of Galar?”

Leon’s own eyes were pained, staring intently into Raihan’s, and his voice was quiet.

“...yes.”

“So, that’s why. Obviously. A common peasant, a pot-scrubber, with the King? No wonder we distanced ourselves. Compared to you, I’m—” Raihan swallowed and looked away, fighting to keep the emotion off his face and out of his voice. “...And your priority is your duty to Galar. Nothing else can interfere with that.”

“…Raihan.” Leon’s voice wavered, too many emotions beginning to seep into his tone. “Please don’t close yourself off to me.”

“Why?” Raihan demanded, fighting back tears. “Don’t I have to? Now that I know _this?_ ”

An all too familiar tone returned to Leon’s voice, forceful and commanding.

“ _Don’t you dare._ ”

The sharp tone left no room for argument and shocked Raihan into silence. He stared mutely at Leon, eyes wide. Leon tugged on his hat one more time, then stood up and grabbed Raihan’s arm and pulled him to his feet.

“Come on,” he said firmly, “we need to talk about this. Away from prying ears.”

Raihan stumbled after him, but didn’t resist as Leon dragged him from the inn.

Leon continued pulling him along until they were near the outskirts of the village, then he finally let him go, speaking quietly.

“Raihan… these days that we have spent traveling together have been the happiest days I’ve had in many, many years.” He looked at Raihan with an intense, pleading gaze. “Please… please don’t shut me out.”

Raihan was silent for a long moment, then gently took Leon’s hand.

“I pushed you away. You may have been behind a wall of ice, but I was behind a wall of armor.”

Keeping hold of Leon’s hand, Raihan began to wander aimlessly along the town’s outskirts, along the woods and fields that surrounded the town. Leon walked with him, stroking the back of Raihan’s hand gently.

“...we both held each other at arm's length. But…” Leon held his hand much tighter. “I can't anymore. I won't. I want nothing more than to have you always, Raihan... but I still must wait for you to be whole.”

Raihan nodded slowly.

“I'm surprised I haven't noticed your crown in any of my memories. But I guess details tend to slip away.”

Leon smiled slightly, looking a bit shy.

“Perhaps… it didn’t matter as much to you as the other things you were remembering…”

“Yeah. Must not,” Raihan said, and finally gave him a small smile.

They fell into silence then, walking slowly among the trees, buds of green peeking out from under frost-encrusted branches.

“This place is beautiful,” Raihan broke the silence and looked over a picturesque meadow, the first grasses and flowers of spring struggling to break through the snowmelt. “I almost…” 

He trailed off as he remembered a hearty game of tag in that very meadow, so rambunctious that even the guards had gotten pulled into it, until they were laughing as much as the two young boys. 

“We knew each other,” Raihan gasped and looked at Leon in shock. “As kids.”

Leon nodded slowly, meeting his eyes with a small, warm smile.

“...yes, we did.”

“We...we played tag here! And over here! You almost fell out of this tree when we were planning our fort!” Raihan held Leon’s hand tightly and pulled him faster through the trees. Leon returned the tight hold on Raihan’s hand, following easily behind him.

“Y-yes, I remember that! You made sure I didn’t fall.”

“Yeah, I grabbed you by the collar and tore your shirt! And here! We were playing hide and seek here, and we were both hiding under that… well, there used to be a log here, and Sonia was so mad when she couldn’t find us. And over here! This is where we built our Snow Fortress, and we were so sad when it started to melt…” 

Leon laughed softly, nodding as they paused.

“Ah yes! We worked so hard on the fortress… it was devastating to see all that hard work just melt away…”

“And the next year, it just wasn’t the same. Snow Fortress the First was the best one. Oh! And that’s where you tried to convince the king that we needed a treehouse with a spiral staircase that went all the way around the tree. Gods, it seemed so much bigger back then…” 

“It’s true,” Leon said, looking up at the tree, “either of us could climb it now without even trying…”

“Your father was right to turn us down,” Raihan said, “There’s no way it would have held a treehouse’s weight. Ah! And over there, where we found that unicorn and I showed you how to get it to eat out of your hand? And we would roll down this hill and catch hell for all the grass stains on the velvet. And here we—”

Raihan froze. They stood at the top of a small hill, and below them sprawled a beautiful pond, with a large rock at the water’s edge under an ancient elm tree. The pond usually froze over the winter, Raihan knew, but the ice had all thawed in anticipation of the coming spring. The sun sank low on the horizon, sending golden waves of light skittering across the smooth surface.

Leon went very still beside him, staring out over the pond, the golden, glinting light nearly the same shade as his eyes. His hand tightened around Raihan’s.

Raihan stared out at the pond for a few long moments before walking down the hill to the water’s edge.

“We went fishing here, on the first day we met.”

“I remember… when I stupidly cut myself… and you showed me how to make a pipe out of reeds…” 

“Yes…” A few reeds were decently high, standing tall in defiance of the cold weather, and Raihan’s lips quirked into a smile. “And then I spent days trying to sneak into the castle.”

Leon drifted a bit closer to him. “...and I spent a week trying to break out of it.”

Raihan stared out at the water. The golden light danced over the surface, bringing to memory a warm summer afternoon, of love and tears and hope and pain. Raihan’s breath caught in his throat.

“We made love here,” he said softly, “on the day we parted.”

A soft gasp escaped Leon, and a single tear slid down his cheek.

“...yes. ...yes, that’s right.”

“I was so afraid I’d never see you again, but I didn’t dare tell you,” Raihan all but whispered. “You were trying to find any loophole that would let me stay with you, or let you come with me, but we both knew that wasn’t possible.”

Leon’s voice was just as soft, holding tighter to his hand.

“I would have left it all behind in a heartbeat… if you had let me. I was so terrified that you would never return…”

Raihan felt something building inside him, a pressure at the back of his head, threatening to burst at any moment. He stared out over the water, waiting for the pressure to stop, or for one final memory to come and release it, but nothing happened. Finally, as the minutes ticked by in silence and the sun sank lower, Raihan sagged against Leon.

“We should head back. I’m exhausted. And cold.”

Leon’s arms gently wrapped around him, and he swallowed back more emotion, and disappointment was clear in his voice.

“...of course. We should get some rest… we’ll be able to make it to Hammerlocke tomorrow…”

“Yeah,” Raihan said and gave him a small smile.

They walked up the hill and headed back down the trail. The pressure in Raihan’s head hadn’t stopped, and he leaned against Leon as they walked, wishing it would go away. They started to pass a clearing amid the snow-covered trees and Raihan’s steps stumbled to a halt. Leon paused with him, once again going very still.

The pressure in Raihan’s head grew worse as he looked around. Almost against his will, he pulled away from Leon and walked into the snowy clearing.

“This place…” He looked around, grimacing around the pain in his head. 

Leon trailed after him, reaching one hand out toward him.

“...Raihan…” Leon’s voice was quiet and pained.

“We met here…” Raihan said slowly. “But also… there was something else. We swore… No. We _vowed_ to… to…”

Raihan’s breath came quick and sharp, breathing out plumes of mist in the cold air. His eyes fell to his bare hand, the hand that he’d sworn a blood oath with all those years ago. Raihan gasped, then snapped his head up to meet Leon’s gaze.

“I…”

The pressure snapped, and years of memories came rushing back with the force of an avalanche. Raihan screamed and his legs gave out. Leon sprang forward, wrapping his arms around Raihan and sinking to the ground with him.

“I’ve got you… I’m here…”

Raihan shook from head to toe and clung desperately to Leon. His eyes were wide, staring ahead at empty air as he was overwhelmed by the flood of memory. After a few minutes, his breathing gradually slowed and his eyes fell shut. He sagged against Leon, burying his face into his chest. Leon’s fingers tenderly stroked his back as he held him close, his voice soft and caring.

“...I’m here, Raihan…”

Raihan let out a long, trembling breath, then lifted his head to meet Leon’s gaze. Raihan’s eyes were the same green they’d always been, but now the bright cheerfulness was tempered by the wisdom that came from years of pain and sorrow. A trembling hand stroked once through Leon’s short hair.

“Leon… My King… my love…” 

Leon let out a ragged gasp, his eyes intently searching Raihan’s, tears beginning to slowly flow down his cheeks. One of his trembling hands rested on Raihan’s cheek.

“...is… is it really you? All of you?”

“It’s me. I’m here,” Tears filled Raihan’s own eyes and he leaned into Leon’s touch. “I will always return to you.”

Leon’s hand trembled more before he broke down, sobbing against Raihan’s chest as he clung to his tunic.

“Raihan… _Raihan…_ y-you’ve finally come back to me…”

Raihan wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. 

“Shh… shh… Ease, my love,” he said and rocked Leon gently, though he couldn’t stop his own tears from flowing freely. “I’m here.”

Leon gradually calmed in his embrace, taking a few deep breaths as Raihan rocked him in the snowy field. Then without warning, he sprang upward and caught Raihan’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

Raihan was surprised only for a moment, then kissed him fiercely back. He held him tight and tangled one hand in his short hair, not quite as soft as he remembered after so many weeks of washing with harsh lye soaps instead of royal shampoos. Leon threw his arms about Raihan’s neck, kissing him intently, noisily. His lips crashed against Raihan’s several times over before he finally pulled away, breathing heavily. Leon looked up at Raihan with warm, happy eyes that glinted with the last of the fading light, tears still brimming within them, though a bright smile now painted his face.

Raihan laughed softly, then finally pulled them both to their feet and out of the snow. 

“Leon… my Leon… How far we’ve both come…” 

“Y-yes…” Leon said, still holding fast to Raihan’s hands and staring up at him like he was the only thing in the world. “It has been such a long road to get you back…”

Raihan's smile shifted into a smirk.

“And what a long road it _was!_ ” Raihan laughed. “Circhester? Really?”

Leon let out a soft giggle, which he only tried to contain for a moment before it became a full laugh, warm and loud, the first real laugh he’d uttered since they’d last been in the field they now stood. Raihan’s heart soared, and he was soon laughing along with him, releasing all his overwhelming emotions into loud, helpless laughter alongside his tears. 

“What can I say?” Leon finally responded, wiping away more tears, “you know my sense of direction has always been the worst.”

Raihan shook his head and pulled him into another hug and held him close.

“What matters is that we’re here now. And we’re together.”

Leon leaned heavily against him, holding him tightly and nodding against his shoulder.

“Yes… you’re here. You’re here with me and you’re safe.”

“Safe…” Raihan ran a hand down Leon’s back and felt the knot of scar tissue from Leon’s most recent wound. He froze. “...Wait.” 

Leon looked up at him, his arms resting on Raihan’s shoulders around his neck, and he gently stroked his hair.

“...what is it?”

Raihan’s hands slid down to rest on Leon’s waist.

“What happened? I remember Rose and Eternatus, and then… and then…” His eyes grew wide with realization. “...I _died._ ”

Leon gently stroked the back of Raihan’s neck, leaning against him, as if affirming that Raihan was still in front of him as he softly confirmed Raihan’s words.

“...yes. You did.”

“I saved you. So… how…how am I here? And how did you…” Raihan trailed his fingers across Leon’s stomach, where the matching scar rested. 

Leon drew in a deep breath, the motion causing his stomach to rise against Raihan’s fingers.

“I… I went after you. Allister told me once that all souls that pass on go to the Slumbering Weald… so I went there to get you back.”

“The Slumbering Weald? But… but how do you undo death? How did you get _this?_ ” Raihan stroked Leon’s front, the effect somewhat diminished by his thick winter clothing. “And don’t think I don’t recognize it, either! That’s right where I was run through. And what happened to your hair?”

Raihan ran his fingers through Leon’s short hair with a distressed look.

Leon looked up at Raihan with a level, calm gaze.

“A price had to be paid to get you back… and I was willing to pay it.”

“Oh… Gods, Leon…When I came to and found you bleeding… that was…” Raihan leaned against him, overwhelmed as he processed this information before a single, terrifying thought pierced his mind. “Gods. Hop. _Kabu._ Are they…?”

Leon squeezed him gently, holding him close and stroking his hair.

“They were well on their way to recovery when I left. ...and they knew why I left. I told them what I was setting out to do.”

Raihan sagged with relief.

“But they’re okay? Everyone’s okay? Nobody else was…was…”

A devastated look crossed Leon’s face.

“Allister,” he said quietly. “After he helped us so much that night, none of us saw Allister again.” 

“No…” Raihan’s face fell. “You don’t think he… passed on?”

Leon nodded slowly.

“I… I believe so. He would get tired out even just possessing one object for a short while, I can only imagine after all he did…”

“Hell…he saved us. If it hadn’t been for his help…” 

Leon nodded again, and he drifted closer to Raihan. He took one of his hands and held it tight.

“Thanks to him, everyone else made it out. ...e-except for you.”

“You almost didn't, either,” Raihan said softly, stroking Leon’s cheek. “I was so frightened I wouldn't stop the blow in time…”

“You did,” Leon said softly, his eyes glistening with new tears. “You saved me. In so many ways, you saved me that day.”

“Rose’s spell…” Raihan said slowly, and finally began walking out of the clearing, heading back toward Clearfield. “We didn’t exactly get a chance to talk about it. So Rose suppressed your memories after he attempted the ritual with you…” 

“Yes… and after my blood didn’t work. He said… the spell also suppressed my emotions. I…” Leon frowned, holding tighter to Raihan’s hand as they walked familiar pathways. “It has been difficult… reacquainting myself with freely feeling things. Especially whilst traveling with one so determined to send my emotions running wild.”

He gave Raihan a nudge, chuckling softly.

“I did _not_ expect you to be so forward with _your_ feelings while we traveled.”

Raihan laughed, though his face grew hot at the same time. 

“Without my memories or the fear of overstepping my duties, I had nothing to hold me back, I'm afraid.”

Leon grinned up at him, his warm gaze lingering on Raihan’s blushing cheeks.

“Honestly… it has been an absolute joy to be with you these past couple months… I feel as though I learned so much about you that you may not have told me otherwise.”

“Yes, I'm sure,” Raihan said with a laugh. “As strange as this sounds, I think this journey was very good for us.”

“I agree,” Leon said, still smiling. “As much as I would have greatly preferred you not need to die for it to have happened… I am still endlessly grateful that it did, all the same.”

“Indeed,” Raihan said, and kissed Leon’s cheek. “It’s gotten late. What say you to spending the night in Clearfield and then, at long last, going home?”

“Yes, please,” Leon said, returning the kiss to Raihan’s own cheek, “As much as I have enjoyed roughing it with you, I do miss the comforts of the castle.”

“Gods, that’s a truth. The food, the hot water, the warm rooms…” Raihan teased his fingers down Leon’s back, “your bed…” 

Leon laughed, leaning into his touch as they neared Clearfield proper.

“I must admit, I haven’t been in your bed, but… I imagine mine is better.”

“Oh, it is. Absolutely,” Raihan said. His steps slowed as they drew near the Clearfield Inn once more.

Leon slowed with him, but gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

“...should we talk to Aria again?” he asked gently. “I’m sure she’d want to reconnect with you.”

Raihan looked away.

“I haven’t spoken to her in over a decade. She’ll probably be furious that I didn’t try to reach out to her.”

“I don’t think so,” Leon said, stroking the back of his hand, “I think she’ll be happy to see you once she recognizes you. It _has_ been over ten years, now… you’ve come a long way from the gangly boy that left Clearfield to join the military.”

“But I didn’t even _write,_ ” Raihan protested. “I mean, I didn’t exactly get much of an opportunity, but… but then I spent a year in Hammerlocke and I have _no_ excuse for that…” 

“I won’t force you,” Leon said quietly, “but isn’t it worth a try? We can leave and camp out in the fields if she gets upset.”

Raihan thought for a long moment. Finally, he gave Leon’s hand a squeeze and let out a long breath.

“Okay. Let’s… let’s at least try.”

“I’ll be right here with you,” Leon reassured him, gently pulling him back into the inn. He slipped his hat back on with his free hand as they entered the comforting warmth, glancing around for Aria.

Aria was back to bustling about, serving tables as the dinner rush came to an end. She glanced over as the little bell above the door announced their entrance. Raihan tensed and held Leon’s hand tighter. Leon held fast to Raihan’s hand and gently tugged him toward her. He put on a small, warm smile as they approached.

“Miss Aria… so sorry for stepping out on you a bit ago. Though could we perhaps have just a moment of your time?”

“Of course! Anything for His— erm…” She lowered her voice. “Anything, of course. Would you like to move this to the back room?”

“Yes, I would appreciate that, Miss Aria,” Leon said, giving her a nod.

She hurried them into a small, but comfortable private room back by the kitchens, equipped with a single table and four chairs. Raihan followed along silently behind them, anxious.

“Now, what is it I can do for you, Your Majesty?” Aria asked with a deep curtsy.

“I just wanted to ask you if you remember an old friend I used to have… nearly ten years ago, he lived at this inn under your care.” Leon’s gaze was warm, but no less intent.

“You mean Raihan?” Aria exclaimed. “Of course I remember him! How could I forget? Though I haven’t seen him in _years,_ he left here when he was…”

She trailed off, staring at Raihan and suddenly gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

“...gods, _Raihan…_ it’s you…” Tears blossomed in her eyes, and she blinked quickly. “O-oh my, you’ve grown so much…”

“Ah…Hello, Aria,” Raihan gave her a smile in an attempt to conceal his nerves. “I know it’s been a long while since I’ve made my way back here…” 

She bit her lip, tears starting to slip down her cheeks, and she nodded. Pride glinted in her eyes along with her tears.

“I… I heard you’ve been pretty busy… becoming the King’s Champion, and all…”

“Yes. It’s been a long road, but it was well worth it,” Raihan said. He gave Leon a sideways glance and a warm smile. Leon met his eyes with a smile, then glanced back toward Aria, raising his eyebrows.

Aria sniffled, and her hands moved slightly, though she pulled them back and cleared her throat.

“I-it’s very good to see you, Raihan, and doing so well for yourself. I… I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Raihan said, and then gently took both her hands in his. “Will you forgive me for taking so long to come visit you?”

She tightly held his hands with her work-worn ones, and nodded eagerly.

“Of course. I… I’d love to hear about all your travels… a-are you two just passing through?”

“We’ll be staying the night and returning to Hammerlocke in the morning,” he said. “So… perhaps we can have some time to catch up.”

She nodded, giving his hands a squeeze.

“If you wouldn’t mind… once things quiet down and the bar’s closed…”

Raihan gave her a warm smile.

“Of course, Aria.”

Aria returned his warm smile with a bright one of her own. She gave Raihan’s hands one more squeeze before pulling away. “I need to get back to work for now, but I’ll see you later tonight. Room Eight is open, it’s yours. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“We will,” Raihan said, watching her leave with a smile. “Thank you.”

Aria bustled out of the private room and back onto the busy tavern floor. Leon turned toward Raihan, wearing a warm smile.

“Well, I’d say that went pretty well.”

“Better than I expected, to be honest,” Raihan said, rubbing the back of his head. “I thought for sure that she’d be mad.”

“It sounds like she’s just glad to see you again,” Leon responded, settling back into his chair. “And now that you’ve reconnected… maybe it’ll be easier to stay in touch?”

“I don’t know how much time I’ll really have to get out of Hammerlocke, but I can at least send a courier with letters,” Raihan said, “It’s the least I can do for the woman who raised me.”

“Agreed,” Leon said firmly, and he frowned. “I understand how seriously you take your job, Raihan, but… taking breaks is also important. We can both come out here once in a while, if that will ease your mind.”

Raihan glanced over at him.

“I think I’d like that. The two of us, taking trips out to the countryside…” 

“It does sound quite heavenly, doesn’t it?” Leon asked with a warm smile. His dreamy look didn’t last long, however, and he sighed. “Though there’s a lot of work to be done before we can take a vacation.”

“Don’t remind me,” Raihan grimaced. “The castle’s going to be in an uproar when we get back. I can’t imagine they thought you’d be gone this long…” 

Leon nodded, sighing one more time.

“Admittedly, yes… I assumed that either I would fly to the Weald and retrieve you, and make it back on horse quickly… or, well.” His face got grim. “Or I wouldn’t return at all. That’s why I was insistent on writing Hop letters… so he would know that we were doing all right. I didn’t tell him that you’d lost your memory.”

“Just that we were taking a scenic route back,” Raihan said with a nod. “The council will be having a field day… well, that’s tomorrow’s problem.”

He slid closer and entwined his fingers with Leon’s. 

“We have one more night before we make it home.”

“It’s true,” Leon said, squeezing Raihan’s hand. His voice was hushed and heavy, speaking his next words with intent. “I look forward to spending it and every other night henceforth with you for as long as I live.”

Raihan’s tongue suddenly couldn’t form words at the deliberate tone of Leon’s voice, and he turned to meet his golden eyes, eagerly getting lost in them.

“...Me too,” he finally managed.

“Good,” Leon returned, and gave him a warm smile. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving… should we see if our food is ready?”

“Yes, I believe so,” Raihan said with a grin.

They took their time with their dinner. It wasn’t too long before Aria rejoined them. Raihan and Aria spent a long while catching up, and then even longer talking with Leon. After the eventful day, they were both too tired to do anything more than lay in each other’s arms and talk long into the night before sleep claimed them.

* * *

Aria was more than willing to loan them both horses in the morning, and they were on the road with the dawn. They talked the entire ride, exhilarated to be together and whole at last, free of the walls around their hearts. The closer they got to Hammerlocke, the busier the road became, spring merchants coming and going from the capital as the weather warmed. They tried to stay inconspicuous, keeping to themselves with Leon’s hat still firmly in place. They managed to hide amid the crowded streets all the way until they approached the castle gates.

Leon rode his horse close to Raihan's the whole journey through the city, and finally sighed as they neared the guards at the castle gates.

“I suppose we’re going to have to reveal ourselves at some point,” he said quietly.

The two guards posted there snapped to attention as they approached, and both of them blanched upon seeing Raihan.

“Ch-Champion Raihan!” one exclaimed, “I thought— we were told— !”

Leon pulled off his hat, shaking out his short hair.

“Y-your Majesty!!” cried the other, and both fell to one knee.

“Be at peace,” Leon said quietly, motioning for them both to rise. “I have returned. And yes… I have returned with Champion Raihan. We’ve had a _very_ long journey, so if you don’t mind…” 

“O-of course!” the first said, and scrambled to his feet. “P-permission to inform S-Sir Kabu of your return, your Majesty!”

“Permission granted,” Leon said with a nod, and watched as the guard took off running without a second thought. He let out a hefty sigh. “I suppose we couldn’t have hoped for a quiet return…”

“I don’t think it really would have been possible, considering the circumstances,” Raihan said. “We’re going to have a lot of work ahead of us. …I’m glad to be able to see everyone, however. Er… how much did you say in your letters? Does everyone know that I’m… back?”

“Clearly not everyone,” Leon said with an amused smile as they continued into the castle and more people’s heads turned. “Though I’m not sure who all Hop shared his letters with. I would imagine Kabu knows…”

“Gods, I hope so,” Raihan said. “I’d hate to add a heart attack onto everything else he’s been through.” 

They were swarmed almost immediately as they entered the castle grounds, servants coming to take their horses and packs and promising to set up drinks and a meal in one of the private sitting rooms. Leon handled the hubbub with his usual grace, thanking everyone and reassuring them that both he and Raihan were all right. It wasn’t long before the worried staff had whisked them both away to a sitting room with a table and chairs and they were brought fresh clothes from their wardrobes.

“Oh, it feels good to be in _my_ clothes again,” Raihan sighed with relief and sank down into a chair. “And not smelling like a horse is a bonus.”

“Agreed,” Leon said, fastening the last bit of his royal tunic as the door opened.

Kabu hurriedly entered the room with the aid of a cane. He paused just past the threshold of the door, openly staring at Raihan. Tears filled his eyes.

“S-so it’s true,” he managed.

“Kabu!” Raihan rose to his feet and didn’t hesitate, striding toward him and catching him in a warm embrace. “Thank you for holding the fort, like I asked. I didn’t mean to be gone for so long.”

Kabu wrapped his arms around Raihan, holding him tightly and let the cane clatter to the floor.

“I-I’ll consider forgiving you, but only if you promise to never do that again.” His words were stern, but his voice was quiet and broken, and tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Rest assured, it’s not an experience I’d like to repeat, my friend.”

“ _Good,_ ” Kabu said, clutching tightly to Raihan’s tunic.

Raihan held him close, and his heart broke at the sight of Kabu’s cane on the floor. 

“I… I have to ask… how badly were you…” 

“Not as badly as you were,” Kabu said quietly.

“It’s alright,” Raihan held Kabu tighter then gently pulled away. “I’m okay, now. I’m fine.”

“I-if you say so,” Kabu said, still holding onto one of Raihan’s arms, and he gave him a good look-over. “Duke Piers said something about amnesia?...”

“Temporary amnesia,” Raihan said. “I’m myself again.”

“Oh good,” Kabu breathed, and reached up to rest a hand on Raihan’s cheek, taking a deep, broken breath. “...I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Me too,” Raihan smiled. He retrieved Kabu’s cane off the floor and handed it back to him.

Kabu gratefully took the cane, leaning on it as the door opened again. In came fury in the form of fiery red hair and painted nails. Sonia marched right up to Leon and let out a very impressive huff, planting her hands on her hips.

“‘I won’t be gone long, Sonia!’” she shouted, “it was ‘I’ll just pop on down to Postwick for the weekend, Sonia’!! ‘Can you watch the whole kingdom while I possibly don’t come home, Sonia’?!”

Leon winced under her words, but let her finish before trying to speak.

“I apologize, Sonia, I hadn’t planned on—”

“That is _quite_ clear! You just flew off on a dragon and hoped it would all work out!”

“Well,” Leon returned meekly, gesturing to Raihan, “at least it did?”

Raihan gave a tentative wave and prayed her fury wouldn’t turn in his direction.

“Hey there, Sonia. Been a while.”

Sonia’s blazing blue gaze turned toward Raihan, and the fire in them died instantly. Her mouth dropped open and she openly gaped at him.

“R-Raihan?... You’re… but…”

“I’m, uh… here. Yes,” Raihan said with a soft laugh. “Surprise?”

Sonia remained speechless, even as a new voice entered the conversation.

“Well look what th’ cat finally dragged in,” Piers toned, resting a hand on his hip as he meandered into the sitting room to join the others.

“Duke Piers!” Raihan exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, after you two showed up lookin’ like sad wet dogs, I fig’red that folks here could use a hand,” Piers responded.

“Duke Piers has been incredibly helpful in your absence,” Kabu said.

“ _Yes_ he has,” Sonia said, finally finding her voice. “Thank goodness he came to help. I… I sure didn’t believe him about Raihan, though…” She looked quite sheepish, twirling her hair nervously.

“Thank you,” Leon said to Piers with no small amount of gratitude in his voice.

“My thanks as well,” Raihan said. “How has it been around here?”

“Chaotic,” Piers said plainly. “Good thing you finally made it back.”

“I suppose the Council is up in arms?” Leon sighed.

“Of course,” Piers responded. “They mostly want answers ‘bout Rose.”

“Naturally,” Raihan groaned. “Oh, I knew we’d have a mess to come back to.”

“Can’t jus’ expect people ta clean up yer messes,” Piers chided, folding his arms. “Yer gonna need a new Steward real soon, your Majesty,”

“I don’t suppose you’d consider applying for the position?” Leon questioned hopefully.

“Not a chance,” Piers responded immediately.

Raihan laughed.

“There will be time to deal with the Council,” Kabu said, moving back toward the door, “there’s someone else that I know is very eager to see you.”

“Hop,” Raihan said instantly. “Gods, how is he?”

“Why don’t you come see for yourself?” Kabu asked, and turned to head out of the room.

“Marnie is probably still with him, can yeh have her come an’ meet me in here?” Piers asked.

“Of course,” Leon said, moving to follow Kabu.

Raihan walked easily beside them. He never thought he’d be so grateful to see the familiar stone walls again, feeling like he was home at last. Kabu led them out to the castle gardens where the flowers were nearly in full bloom. Hop was near the small pond with Marnie, her small rodent napping nearby.

“And once you’ve cut the reeds, you just—” Hop trailed off as they approached, and immediately dropped the reeds he was holding and scrambled to his feet. “Lee! _Raihan!!_ ”

He took off running toward them, moving like a shot for Raihan, colliding with him in a tackling hug with his whole small self. Raihan caught him full force, scooping him up and spinning him in a circle.

“Hop! Oh, how I missed you,” he laughed.

Hop clung to him tightly, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.

“I m-missed you too!! I missed you and Lee _so much!_ ” Hop cried, holding as tight to Raihan’s tunic as he could manage. “You’re back, you’re _back,_ just like Lee said!”

“Of course I’m back,” Raihan said. “I’d never leave you.”

“I’m so happy you’re back,” Hop said, taking deep gulping breaths through his tears, “so glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” Raihan said, holding him tight and returning to Leon’s side.

Leon was speaking with Marnie, who nodded and went back inside the castle, clutching her creature friend close. A warm smile found Leon’s face as he looked up at Hop and Raihan, relief in his golden eyes.

“You’re looking much better, Hop,” he said.

Hop beamed brightly, rubbing at his face.

“L-Lee! Lee y-you’re _smiling!_ ” he enthused.

“It was a long journey,” Raihan said, “and a lot happened.”

“You guys were gone _forever!_ ” Hop complained, “and now that you’re back, you better not leave again! Not without me!”

Leon laughed, and Hop’s eyes popped open wide.

“What _happened_ out there?!” He looked at Raihan with a small frown. “Are you _sure_ that’s Lee?”

Raihan grinned from ear to ear. 

“Oh, I’m sure. Everything’s going to be better from now on, just you see. Not perfect, but better.”

“Don’t you have a hug for me, too?” Leon asked, still wearing a smile.

Hop squirmed in Raihan’s arms. “Of course!”

Raihan handed Hop over, passing him into Leon’s arms, and stayed close, resting a warm hand on the small of Leon’s back.

Hop hugged Leon tight, sniffling again and burying his face into Leon’s tunic.

“Th-thanks for writing to me.”

“Of course,” Leon said, stroking his back, “I had to let you know that we were okay. I’m sorry it took so long to get us home. I er… I took a few wrong turns.”

Hop’s head popped back up.

“ _You_ were leading the way home? No _wonder_ it took so long!”

“Hey now!” Leon laughed, and Hop beamed even brighter, getting more delighted with each new time he got to hear his big brother’s laugh.

“Good thing Kabu was here!” Hop said proudly, and Kabu cleared his throat slightly. “He was real worried while you two were gone.”

“Well, there’s no need for worry anymore,” Raihan said. “We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Kabu said again beside him. “I think we’re all ready to have no further partings among us for a while.”

Hop’s face fell, and tears filled his eyes again.

“A-Allister… I haven’t seen Allister since the Darkest Day…”

Pain entered Leon’s expression, and he held Hop closer.

“I also haven’t seen him since that night. The last I saw of him was—” He cut himself off, not wanting to upset Hop further.

“...he was a hero,” Kabu said softly. “If he hadn’t come to me upon finding Hop…”

“He saved so many of us,” Raihan agreed. “Is there any chance at all that he’s just… recovering?”

“I don’t think so,” Leon said somberly. “If he could have made himself known by now… I believe he would have.”

Hop sniffled loudly.

“He was my b-best friend,” he said brokenly.

“I know,” Leon said tenderly, stroking Hop’s back, “he was a good friend to us all. And he did everything he could to save us.”

“W-we should do something for _him,_ ” Hop insisted, “he did so much for me…”

“I agree,” Raihan said. “He’s been a part of the lives of those in the castle for so long. We need to honor him.”

“Indeed,” Leon said, looking down at Hop. “How do you think we should honor him, Hop?”

“No one else could see him,” Hop said carefully, “except us. So if we could draw him… then everyone would know what he looked like and be able to care about him with us.”

“A portrait?” Raihan asked. “A memorial? I have no talent with a quill, personally, but I like the idea.”

Kabu looked thoughtful, and nodded.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. A portrait and a memorial. Perhaps set it up somewhere within the castle.”

“I can try and draw him!” Hop offered, “I still remember him really well! I’ll never forget him!!”

“Perhaps we can work on that together, Hop,” Kabu offered with a smile.

“Yeah!” Hop enthused, “we’ll make it really big and nice so everyone knows what a hero he was!!”

“I’m not sure he’d like that,” Leon said gently, “perhaps something a bit smaller?”

“Okay,” Hop pouted, “he _deserves_ a giant statue…”

“Oh, absolutely,” Raihan said. “But he didn’t really like to make a scene.”

“We’ll work something out, Hop,” Kabu said. “For now, I think we should all go and enjoy lunch together.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Raihan said. “Lunch, then back to work.”

“Ugh, not that last bit!” Hop said, squirming until Leon put him down, starting a march toward the dining hall. “Just lunch and _no_ work!”

“We’ll have to see,” Leon said with a smile as he moved to follow Hop. One of his hands sought Raihan’s and held onto him tightly. Raihan gave his hand a squeeze.

It’s true that there was a great deal of work to be done, but perhaps Hop was right. Perhaps the world could wait until tomorrow.


	25. Melting Snow - Chapter 7

There was, as Raihan anticipated, a _lot_ of work to do. Even with the precautions Leon had taken, the abrupt two month sabbatical of the King along with the unexpected disappearance and return of the Champion caused quite an upheaval among the Court. Between the political fallout from Rose’s betrayal and the backlog of work to be done, they were both kept very busy. They worked themselves to the bone during the day, and fell asleep in each other’s arms at night, too exhausted for anything more.

Soon, a welcome reprieve came in the form of the annual Royal Guard tryouts, which Leon still insisted on overseeing, despite all the work that needed to be done. There were eleven guards retiring this year, and several dozen eager recruits were hoping to earn the right to join the Royal Guard.

“It’s hard to believe that only a year ago, I was on the other side of that field,” Raihan said to Camilla, looking out over the empty arena. Old Camilla was among the retiring guards this year, and the two of them lounged in the Royal Box, watching the preparations for the tryouts.

“That _is_ pretty hard to believe,” Camilla admitted. “Even harder to believe that your crazy stunt to become Champion actually _worked._ ”

“I’m just as surprised as you are. It was a shot in the dark when I did it,” he gave her a sly smirk, “but I did know that I was _very_ good.”

Camilla laughed brightly. “You’ve always been a cheeky brat. At least now you’re able to put your money where your mouth is!”

“Damn right, I can,” Raihan grinned. “Thank you, Camilla. If you hadn’t encouraged me to head this direction as a kid, I have no idea where I’d be now. …Where any of us would be.” 

She gave him a warm smile and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Eh, it was nothing. I have a feeling you’d have ended up near the King no matter what you did, but… you sure chased those dreams all the way to the top. And you’ve really shown everyone you deserve it. I _still_ hear guys talk about watching you take down those assassins at the harvest festival last year!”

“Yeah? Well I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve had enough excitement this year to last a lifetime. Two lifetimes, in fact,” Raihan said. “At least with Rose gone, we no longer have that constant danger at our backs.”

Camilla gave him a sideways look.

“I heard that Midwinter night was a real shitshow… and rumors are _still_ flying about how both you and the King disappeared for weeks on end… I even heard a couple times that you _died._ ”

Raihan looked back out over the arena, watching as the crews set it up for the tryouts.

“You heard correctly.”

Camilla’s eyebrows shot up, and she looked at Raihan with clear skepticism.

“Yeah? So am I talking to a ghost right now, then?”

“Not quite,” Raihan said. “King Leon went to the Slumbering Weald to bring me back. It’s why we’ve been absent.”

Camilla’s expression grew dry, and she scoffed.

“All right, now you’re pulling my leg. No one goes in there, and whoever does is never seen again.”

“Believe what you want,” Raihan said, a smile pulling at his lips. “I’m just telling it like it is.”

Camilla rolled her eyes, though she wore a grin.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe your tall tales, Mr. ‘a giant turtle definitely ate my practice sword’.”

“Hey, I remember that!” Raihan laughed. “I’d lost it down the well and didn’t want to admit it. I guess there’s no pulling the wool over your eyes, is there?”

She shook her head, looking slightly exasperated, but gave him a warm smile.

“I’m afraid not. Certainly not after you’ve tried so many times. Though regardless of what happened, I’m glad you’re back on your feet.” She stole a glance toward the King’s seat, where Leon was talking with Hop. “And whatever happened… the King sure seems different. But in a good way. I hadn’t seen him smile in… gods. Years.”

“We’ve been through a lot, and we’re better for it,” Raihan stepped away from the edge of the Royal Box and headed toward Leon as the announcing crier approached. “I _definitely_ died, though.”

“You’re full of shit, Champion Raihan!” Camilla called good naturedly after him.

“Whatever you say!” Raihan gave her a lazy salute and took his place at Leon’s side.

Leon glanced over at Raihan as he stood beside him and nodded, then signaled the crier to start the tournament. After the spectacle that had been last year’s tournament, there were even more hopeful candidates than usual this year, and the competition was fierce. It was clear by the halfway mark that more candidates would qualify than there were slots to fill, and Kabu and his close staff had their hands full organizing how the latter part of the tournament would go.

“I’d say this is more entertaining than reviewing the quarterly expenditure report, wouldn’t you, Your Majesty?” Raihan asked, his eyes watching the staff set up the arena.

“I heartily agree, Sir Raihan,” Leon replied, and though he was looking out over the arena, his eyes were rather unfocused. Raihan looked at him curiously. He’d seemed distracted the entire tournament, and now was no exception.

“Sire?”

“Hm?” he turned to look at Raihan, a slight line between his eyebrows, something that happened when he was concentrating particularly hard. “What is it?”

“Are you doing alright?” Raihan asked, leaning in close and lowering his voice.

Leon blinked at him, looking confused, and nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine. Why do you—?” He trailed off as the crier banged her flag onto her platform.

“It is now time for an intermission! The remaining candidates must rest before their further trials to come! In the meantime, we first have an address from our great King Leon!” She waited for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. “Afterward, we will have some musical entertainment!”

Raihan fell silent and stood respectfully to the side, though he cast Leon another curious glance. There hadn’t been a Royal Address at the last tryouts, and Leon had already addressed the kingdom concerning all the Rose business. Leon hadn’t even mentioned to Raihan that he would be saying anything.

“Thank you all for coming to the tournament today,” Leon began, and had to pause and wave a hand to silence the excited crowd. “It’s a pleasure to see so many talented new recruits hopeful to join the Royal Guard.”

He paused to clear his throat before continuing.

“As you all know, the last few months have been rather tumultuous, and I once again thank the citizens of Hammerlocke for stepping up to help and for being so understanding. There have been many rumors regarding my disappearance, and I have not addressed them, for the most part.”

Ah. That was true, Raihan supposed. He honestly hadn’t thought Leon would address it at all and instead just get back to work. To his knowledge, the entire ordeal had been kept fairly hush-hush.

“I have always striven to do everything in my power to make the kingdom of Galar the very best it can be. Sometimes, my every waking moment is spent trying to ensure that I am doing all I can for its betterment and the prosperity of my people. I hope that my efforts have not been in vain.”

He had to pause as the crowd once again cheered, and he swallowed, tugging on the clasp of his cape. It was odd for Leon to be nervous when giving a speech, and Raihan had never seen him this anxious in front of a crowd before.

“However, this has admittedly left me with very little time… for me to be much more than a King to you. Until about a year ago, I believed that perhaps, that was all that was in my future. And until about two months ago, I was sure that I would be walking this path alone until I were to abdicate the throne to my brother, Prince Hop. But now, I ask you all to be my witnesses.”

Leon turned away from the crowd, turning to face Raihan, and dropped down to one knee. Gasps shot through the crowd, but a tense, complete silence followed as Leon produced a golden ring, holding it up toward Raihan.

_What was he…_

“Raihan of Clearfield… will you marry me?”

For a moment, Raihan’s mind was utterly and completely blank.

_Was he actually doing this? Was Leon doing what Raihan thought he was doing? Was he… oh gods, half of Hammerlocke was watching them._

Everyone was witness to this, but only Raihan could see the look in Leon’s golden eyes, the ice long melted, showing only hope, love, and the faintest hint of anxiety. 

_Oh gods. Say something, Raihan. Don’t just stand there, do something!_

Tears welled in Raihan’s eyes, and a smile warmed his face. He cupped Leon’s cheek and gently stroked along his skin with a thumb.

“Of course, my love.”

With a burst of motion, Leon sprang to his feet, joyfully capturing Raihan’s lips with his own. In full view of the crowd, he gave Raihan a deep, loving kiss as he gently held onto Raihan’s chin. Raihan threw his arms around Leon and kissed him passionately in return. A roar filled his ears, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the crowd or the pounding of his own heart, and he didn’t much care.

He was truly going to be at Leon’s side for the rest of their days.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze. Leon fielded a few urgent questions (no, Raihan would not become king or co-monarch, he would retain his duties as Champion-consort, no, this wasn’t unprecedented, Queen Theresa II married her Champion two centuries ago) before putting his foot down and firmly proclaiming that he’d say nothing more on the matter until tomorrow’s Council meeting. Even then, they didn’t have a chance to be alone together until they retreated to Leon’s rooms at the end of the night.

“Finally,” Leon said with a sigh, returning his crown and cape to their usual spots, “some peace and quiet.”

He began to take off his armor and many layers before he paused, giving Raihan a curious look.

“Raihan? You’ve barely said anything since…” A bit of that anxiety returned to his eyes and he drifted closer to him. “...is everything all right?”

The concerned look in Leon’s eyes snapped Raihan back to the here and now.

“It hardly seems real,” he said softly, “like I’m going to wake up at any moment and realize this was all just a wonderful dream.”

Leon gently took Raihan’s hands in his own, stroking them tenderly.

“I believe I understand the feeling… sometimes I find myself selfishly touching you, just to be sure that you’re still here with me.”

“I’m here,” Raihan said, clasping their hands together. “I’m here, and I’ll never leave you, Lee. Leon… my King… my fiancé…” 

The warm feeling that he’d been floating in all day finally took hold of him with full force. A wide grin spread across his face and his heart soared. This was really happening. Leon was going to be his.

“My love,” Raihan said, and kissed him. 

“Mm,” Leon toned into him, his lips smiling just slightly through their kiss as he reached up to gently take the helm off of Raihan’s head.

Raihan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, holding his lips for a while longer before releasing them with a sigh.

“No more hiding. No more sneaking around. Everyone knows we’re meant to be together.”

“That’s right,” Leon reassured him, gently setting Raihan’s helm aside before he began tenderly stroking Raihan’s face and up into his hair. “I want everyone to know how much I love you.”

“Bold move there, proposing with half of Hammerlocke watching,” Raihan grinned, “so even if the Court nobles squawk, no one will dare to try and stop us. Not with the people of Galar cheering us on.”

“Damn right,” Leon said with a smirk, resting his arms on Raihan’s shoulders, playing with Raihan’s hair. “And even if they had squawked, it’s not as though they could have stopped me anyway.”

“No, but some would have tried, which is annoying, if nothing else,” Raihan kissed the corner of his lips. “It’s going to be nice not needing to sneak into your rooms anymore…”`

“Indeed,” Leon said warmly, tangling his fingers in Raihan’s hair, “Now no one will question you coming into my chambers at night…” He planted a hot kiss on Raihan’s neck. “And no one will question the noise coming from within my chambers at night, either.”

A wave of heat pulsed through Raihan, and he slowly dragged a wide palm down Leon’s back.

“I know we’ve been working ourselves to death this past while, but tonight I actually feel quite rested…” 

Leon traced his fingers down the back of Raihan’s neck, drifting in closer to him.

“...tradition dictates that a couple wait until their wedding night before becoming one…” he murmured softly.

Raihan gaped at him indignantly.

“You drag me all over Galar while I’m thirsting after you, cuddle up with me, _bathe_ with me, and now you’re going to tell me that I can’t ravish you now that I finally have you in my hands?” 

A bright laugh escaped Leon, and he grinned up at Raihan.

“You’ve had me in your hands for a week now, at least!”

“And, regretfully, I’ve been too exhausted to do anything about it,” Raihan gave him a pout. “Are you really going to make me wait for… how long? When are we tying this knot?”

“Have you not heard a thing I’ve said since I proposed to you?” Leon teased, tugging on the top of his breastplate. “Only had one thing on your mind all day?”

“I’ve been in a daze all afternoon,” Raihan said. “Waiting for reality to set in.”

“Well…” Leon toned, leaning in close to his face, a coy smile on his lips as he gave Raihan’s armor a rough tug. “Has it yet? Or am I going to be waiting another month to feel the brunt of your passions?”

“Oh, we had _better_ not wait a month!” Raihan unclasped the straps to his breastplate. “Help me get out of all this, will you?”

Leon let out another mirthful laugh and caught Raihan’s hand, slipping in closer to him.

“I will.”

His hands deftly unclasped his breastplate and he slid it off of Raihan, tossing it toward the chaise haphazardly as he drifted a hand down Raihan’s chest. Raihan took a slow, deep breath, his chest moving against Leon’s hand.

“I still need a hand with the rest of this, darling,” Raihan murmured, though he’d stilled at the gentle hand against his tunic. “Unless you’d like clanking added to the list of noises coming out of the bedroom.”

“So impatient,” Leon observed, pressing his hand into Raihan’s stomach before he slid it up toward his pauldrons. He leaned in close to Raihan, his voice warm, his golden eyes full of a simmering heat. “Metal and murmur alike, I will hear each and every sound of yours.”

The commanding tone of the King returned for a moment.

“And you will not rush me.”

Raihan let out a hot breath, caught by the heat in Leon’s eyes. Leon’s tone was as sharp and as uncompromising as any order he’d given, but the words were no longer fueled by ice, but by fire. A heat blazed to life in Raihan’s own chest, and he fell still.

“As you wish,” he breathed.

Leon slid one hand beneath Raihan’s right pauldron, stroking and teasing his shoulder before he removed it, then repeated the motions for his left pauldron. He stroked down along Raihan’s arms, slowly removing the vambraces and squeezing his biceps. As he made it to Raihan’s gauntlets, a sigh escaped Leon’s lungs. The King paused in his motions to entwine the fingers of their bond hands, staring down at them.

“I’ve waited so long,” he murmured, holding Raihan’s hand tighter than ever before. “So long to call you mine.”

“You don’t have to wait any longer,” Raihan gently lifted their clasped hands and kissed their entwined fingers. “I’m yours.”

“You are mine,” Leon breathed, “and I am yours.”

Leon leaned in for another kiss, taking his time and truly tasting Raihan’s lips and mouth. Slowly his lips and tongue grew more bold, and his hands slid along Raihan’s lithe, muscular form, feeling him through his clothes. Raihan let out a sigh into him, resting one hand against the small of Leon’s back and pulling him in closer.

In the quiet of Leon’s quarters, it was easy to hear the soft sound of their parting lips as Leon finally pulled away from the kiss.

Leon slid his hands down Raihan’s front again as he eased into a crouch before him. He more quickly began removing his leg guards and greaves, letting them fall to the floor with a clatter. Raihan stepped out of his sabaton and boots and stroked through Leon’s short hair in admiration.

“Are you going to grow it back out?” 

A smile found Leon’s face, and he leaned into Raihan’s touch, though his hands began to stroke Raihan’s legs.

“Do you think I should? I’ll admit, it’s been rather odd with it so short, since it was long for so many years…”

“I don’t know,” Raihan trailed his fingers through the soft purple hair, though he was very aware of the hands trailing upward along the back of his calves. “I loved it long...but it looks pretty dashing like this.”

“I’m glad that you like it both ways,” Leon said, “it’s felt a bit… liberating, honestly. But that feeling might be tied to more than just my hair.”

Leon’s hands slid up the back of Raihan’s legs, and he gave Raihan another bright smile from his knees.

“I’ve never felt more free… free to feel… free to love… and…”

Finally, he leaned forward and gave Raihan a warm, intimate kiss.

Raihan let out a low moan and wound his fingers into Leon’s hair.

“L-Leon…” 

Leon let out a hot, heavy sigh against him, and gave him one more slow, purposeful kiss.

“I’ve waited so long,” he murmured, clutching to Raihan’s trousers. He suddenly stood back up again, his eyes blazing with a passionate heat. “ _Too_ long.”

“I suppose you’re tired of being patient?” Raihan’s eyes gleamed and he closed the distance between them. He trailed a hand down the back of Leon’s neck to side leisurely down his back before coming to rest on his rear. “I know I am.”

A bright laugh escaped Leon, and he settled back against Raihan’s hold, giving him a sly grin.

“I think I still have some patience left in me, but it is rapidly declining,” Leon admitted. “And I must admit, it was ever so tempting to give in to your wiles while we travelled together… though it didn’t feel quite right, when you couldn’t remember me.”

“I admit, although I was quite frustrated at your denial…” His lips found Leon’s neck and kissed a bruise into his skin. “...it made this all the more rewarding.”

“Ah,” Leon gasped softly, tilting his head back, “it’s true that being denied something one wants often only makes us want it more…” The fingers of one hand tangled in Raihan’s hair. “...I certainly think that’s the case for me…”

Raihan smiled against his skin.

“If this conversation is leading back toward ‘waiting for the wedding,’ then I have several protests I’d like to voice,” he murmured, and gave Leon’s rear a firm squeeze for emphasis.

Leon laughed again, the sound soft and sultry.

“I’d love to hear them, though perhaps you also have reasons that we _shouldn’t_ wait for the wedding?”

“I can think of a few,” Raihan said. He reluctantly let go of Leon’s rear to start unlacing Leon’s jerkin. “The foremost of which is the fact that I have you, right here, in your bedroom, and I have every intention to celebrate our new engagement with a great deal of enthusiasm.”

A bright grin lit Leon’s face as he played with Raihan’s hair, the fingers of one hand trailing down the back of his neck.

“Your intentions have been quite clear for some time now, Raihan,” he teased, and the heat was once again rising in his eyes. “So let me make _my_ intentions clear.”

Leon leaned up to give Raihan a deep, passionate kiss. The hand on his neck trailed all the way down his spine, lingering just a moment before Leon gave Raihan’s rear a grope. Raihan moaned into Leon’s lips and drew closer to him. The fine fabric of the jerkin was smooth beneath Raihan’s palm as he groped one thick pectoral, and he hastened his efforts to unlace it. Leon hummed pleasantly into him, the sound reverberating through his broad chest. The hand on Raihan’s rear stayed there a while, though gradually began unlacing Raihan’s tunic from the bottom up in the back.

Raihan’s fingers worked with surprising deftness, quickly opening the jerkin and sliding it off him, then seized Leon by the waist and pulled him close, feeling that ample chest against his. He parted their lips and sighed out Leon’s name, his voice heavy with desire.

“Leon…”

A shiver ran through Leon, the two of them sharing the sensation while pressed against each other. Hot breath found Raihan’s neck as Leon let out a hefty sigh.

“Oh, Raihan…”

Raihan’s tunic joined Leon’s jerkin on the floor.

Green eyes met gold as Raihan’s gaze burned with a smouldering fire. His hand slid under Leon’s shirt and slowly dragged his hand up his bare back, feeling his way along wide, toned muscles. More heat pressed against Raihan’s neck as Leon kissed him there, first with lips, then with tongue. The silky fabric of Leon’s shirt did little to contain his broad chest, especially as it meshed so closely against Raihan’s own.

A moan pulled itself from Raihan’s throat and he dug his nails into Leon’s back.

“To bed, my love?” he murmured into Leon’s ear.

Leon’s warm lips smiled against Raihan’s neck.

“To bed,” he hummed into his skin, planting several more passionate kisses up along his neck before he sprang upward to give Raihan another deep kiss.

As he claimed Raihan’s lips again, his hands were suddenly moving much faster, starting to remove Raihan’s clothes with reckless abandon. Raihan welcomed the motions, mirroring them with his own, and the two left a trail of their remaining clothes all the way to the massive bed.

Years of pent up passion, heat, and love culminated in a wild and impassioned night accentuated with moments of tenderness and adoration. At long last, they welcomed each other in heart and body, and finally fell asleep as they had grown accustomed to; in each other’s arms.

* * *

The day couldn’t have been more perfect. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the air was just crisp enough for a light riding cloak, but not chilly. The rain from earlier in the week had finally let up with enough time for the ground to dry so the meadow wasn’t muddy. They had, of course, decided to be married in the clearing where they’d first met so many years ago, where they’d forged their blood bond, and where Raihan had regained his memories. It seemed only fitting that they forge one more bond there.

Raihan stood in a small tent with Sebastian and a manservant, putting the finishing touches on his outfit. He wore a white leather doublet and silk tunic, with a white satin capelet trimmed in silver. He fiddled with the bottom edge of the doublet and sternly told himself that he wasn’t nervous.

“How are you holding up?” Sebastian asked, and he promptly readjusted the bit of Raiahn’s outfit that he’d just nervously jostled. “It’s almost time.”

“Fine. I’m fine. I’m going to remember all my vows and all my lines and not trip halfway down the aisle,” Raihan said too quickly.

Sebastian smiled and gently squeezed Raihan’s arm.

“That’s right. You’re going to do great. And even if you don’t… you’re _still_ going to get married.”  
“Yeah. You’re right,” Raihan smiled and let out a long, happy sigh. “I’m getting _married._ ”

A light laugh escaped Sebastian, and he shook his head.

“To the _King,_ no less! Some might call you the luckiest man in the Kingdom!”

“And when they hear what I had to go through this past year to get here, they’d eat those words,” Raihan said.

“Yes, well… I’m not sure I’d agree with them, myself, anyway,” Sebastian admitted, adjusting his own outfit slightly.

“Is that so?” Raihan asked. “Why not?”

Sebastian gave Raihan a warm smile.

“Because Leon is the luckiest man in Galar, getting to be wed to you.”

“Aw, Seb…” Raihan pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.”

Sebastian returned the hug tightly, then wiped at his eyes as they parted.

“You’re welcome.” He glanced out of the tent, then looked back at Raihan. “Looks like it’s time. ...are you ready?”

Raihan took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Okay. Yeah. I’m ready.”

He stepped out of the tent and into the sunlight. The service was small, only their closest friends and family for the private ceremony. The public ceremony would be in a few days, and Raihan suspected the celebrations would last all week. They’d taken care to preserve the beauty of the little clearing, only a few chairs set up and the two tents for King and Champion. And speaking of… 

Raihan looked up as Leon stepped out of his own tent, and he couldn’t help but stare at his gorgeous king.

Leon wore an immaculate white suit trimmed in gold thread that hugged his muscular frame quite nicely. Pure white fur lined the cape on his shoulders, and the underside was lined with golden fabric that glinted in the spring sunlight. His purple hair had been painstakingly styled to be a bit less wild, though it still stubbornly stood up in a couple places. No crown or circlet adorned his head today, standing as an equal alongside his husband-to-be. Warm golden eyes held Raihan’s as he moved toward him, then stopped. He offered his arm toward Raihan, even though Raihan hadn’t yet moved from his spot in front of the tent.

“Shall we, darling?” he prompted softly.

Raihan’s heart swelled with love and warmth. 

“We shall, my dearest,” Raihan said, moving to meet him and taking his arm.

Leon watched him as they made their way down the aisle, a bright smile tugging at his lips as they neared the simple podium that had been set up. Kabu stood behind it, his eyes already beginning to glint with tears as the two men stopped in front of him, and he cleared his throat.

“We are gathered here today to witness the unity of two wonderful men. First, Leon of Galar, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing since he was born, and second, Raihan of Galar, whom I have known since he was a boy. These men have fought and struggled endlessly both for the sake of Galar, and for each other. I have witnessed them overcome incredible odds in order to stand alongside one another. It will be my pleasure today to wed them so that they will be further bonded to each other, even though they have already shown all of us just how strong their bond is.”

As Kabu continued, Leon drifted a bit closer to Raihan, staring up at him as he took Raihan’s bond hand. He held it tight as Kabu spoke of their brave deeds and valor, of their devotion and their sacrifice. Raihan tried to listen, but found his mind drifting, focusing only on the gorgeous man at his side. Despite his nerves from earlier, now that it was real, it was _happening,_ Raihan felt a serene peace settle over him.

“Now,” Kabu was saying, “we will now hear the vows of devotion from these two men to each other. Raihan, if you would be the first to offer your vows to Leon?”

Raihan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then turned to face his love.

“Leon,” Raihan said, hands clasped around his. “You are my best friend, my partner, my soulmate. I don’t know if it was luck, destiny, or the will of the gods that brought us together in this clearing all those years ago, but at this point, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are together, reunited at long last. We have endured such hardships together, it sometimes doesn’t feel real. You have saved my life, in the most literal sense. And so, it is with this gift to you that I make my vow of devotion.” 

On cue, Sebastian stepped forward and presented a magnificent shield, similar in size to the one Leon preferred to carry, its surface ornately and expertly engraved with the Galar crest flanked by two dragons.

“By this shield, I vow to defend you in all things, not just as your Champion, but as your husband. Through whatever hardships that lay ahead, I will be at your side, and defend you with love and honor.”

Tears gathered in Leon’s eyes as he looked from the magnificent shield back to Raihan, giving him a firm nod as a smile found his face.

“Raihan… it’s beautiful. Thank you… for both the shield and your words of love.”

“Leon,” Kabu said, turning to him, “it is your turn to offer your vows to Raihan.”

Leon stood up taller and straightened his outfit, taking in a breath before he spoke. His tone was different today, not the commanding voice of the King, but the warm and happy voice of Leon.

“Raihan, I cannot begin to fathom how differently my life would have been if you had not found me. Again and again you found me, repeatedly leading me down a much brighter path than I could have ever found on my own. The sacrifices you have made for me are innumerable, and thus it would be nearly impossible for me to find a way to repay you. The most I can offer you are my body, mind, and heart, wrapped up in my soul, which I offer to you along with this gift.”

It was Piers’ turn to step forward, holding up a masterwork sword that had been crafted similarly to the longswords Raihan preferred. Piers drew the sword, showing off the perfectly tempered steel along with the gilded hilt that was in the shape of a dragon snaking around the blade to serve as the hand guard.

“May this sword serve as a reminder of my promise this day to always fight by your side, not as your King, but as your husband. We will fight whatever comes next together, and we will triumph.”

He drifted closer to Raihan, taking both his hands and leaning in close to him, tears overflowing from his eyes as he wore a bright smile.

“I’d be lost without you, Raihan. I love you more than life itself, and I will remain by your side until we both sleep together eternally.”

Tears spilled from Raihan’s eyes, and he held tightly to Leon’s hands.

“It’s perfect… Gods, it’s perfect…” 

Leon smiled more broadly up at Raihan, tears dripping off of his chin. Kabu dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief before he once again spoke up.

“Please bring forth the rings.”

A very excited Hop sprang out of his seat, holding a velvet pillow, and did his best not to run up to the podium. He beamed at the both of them as he held up the pillow with two rings on it, bouncing slightly on his feet.

“Thank you, Hop,” Leon said softly, smiling at him as he reached for Raihan’s ring. He slid the ring onto Raihan’s left ring finger, then brought his hand to his lips, giving his knuckles a soft kiss.

Raihan’s heart melted, and he ignored how his hands shook as he took the second ring and placed it on Leon’s finger. He looked fondly at their hands, entwined together, rings shining in the sunlight, and shed another tear of joy.

Kabu’s eyes shone brightly with unshed tears as he held his head high and continued speaking.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wed, bound together in body and soul. You may kiss one another to secure your union.”

Leon didn’t hesitate, and threw himself forward, crashing his lips against Raihan’s. Heedless of the gathered crowd, he kissed Raihan deeply and passionately, his thick arms wrapped loosely around Raihan’s neck.

Raihan wrapped one arm around Leon’s waist and kissed him passionately in return, secure in the knowledge that they were _finally_ bound together in every way that mattered, destined to be side-by-side until they walked the paths of the Slumbering Weald together.

It felt like a long time before the sounds of the cheering crowd hit them, but finally it did with full force. Hop’s cheer was the loudest, and finally his joy overcame him and he sprang forward to wrap the both of them in a tight hug. Leon broke the kiss with a laugh and held both Hop and Raihan close, grinning from ear to ear.

“Looks like we’re brothers now,” Raihan grinned and ruffled Hop’s hair. “What do you think about that?”

Hop’s grin got even wider than Leon’s, and he bounced excitedly in their hold.

“I think it’s _amazing!!_ I have the most amazing brothers in the whole wide world!!”

“Damn right, you do!” Raihan scooped Hop up and held him in one arm. “And I have the best little brother-in-law in the world!”

“Yeah!!” Hop enthused, pumping a fist into the air.

Leon beamed at both of them, tears surfacing in his eyes again. Kabu cleared his throat beside them, a small but pleased smile on his face.

“I’m so happy for you both,” he said quietly. “It means so much to me to have been the one to wed you.”

“We can’t thank you enough for officiating,” Leon said, and rather suddenly pulled Kabu into a hug.

Kabu’s surprise completely overtook his whole face, and he was left stunned for several long seconds.

“There’s no one else we’d rather have bring us together once more,” Raihan said, “considering how much you’ve done for us.”

A few more tears slipped down Kabu’s cheeks, and he returned Leon’s hug. Raihan wrapped his free arm around the both of them, and they remained that way for a long moment, until Hop squirmed in Raihan’s hold.

“C’mon guys, there’s _cake!_ ”

Raihan laughed and set Hop down as he pulled away from Kabu and Leon.

“Alright, alright. Let’s start the celebration. Though I suspect we’ll all be sick of celebrating by the time the public events are finished.”

“Speak for yourself!” Hop said, and darted off, weaving through the crowd to get to the few tables that had been set up with food.

Leon slid close to Raihan again as they began drifting closer to where everyone was gathering, so many bright smiling faces congregating around the beautiful white wedding cake adorned with flowers from the field they stood in.

“I think,” Raihan murmured with a kiss to Leon’s cheek, “that if we don’t go cut the cake, our dear Hop will become _quite_ distressed.”

Leon laughed, the sound becoming almost familiar now. 

“I think you’re right. Shall we?” He offered his arm to Raihan, giving him a bright grin.

“We shall,” Raihan took his arm with a wide smile.

They hadn’t made it three steps before Sonia intercepted them, accompanied by Miss Magnolia, much to Raihan’s surprise.

“Congratulations, sonnies!” Magnolia said brightly, tapping them both with her cane. “Glad to see you finally made it back to the castle!”

“G-Gran, don’t hit people with your cane!” Sonia said with exasperation. “Especially not—!”

Leon laughed brightly and stepped toward Magnolia.

“It’s quite all right, Sonia. I meant to more properly thank you for what you did, Magnolia.”

Sonia let out a sigh, turning toward Raihan as Magnolia and Leon began talking.

“Congratulations from me too, by the way. I’m um, really happy for you two,” she said as she twirled her hair nervously.

“Thank you,” Raihan said, though his eyes followed Magnolia as she chatted with Leon. “I’m sorry, what? _Gran?_ ”

“Oh! Er, yeah, Magnolia is my grandma,” Sonia said, following Raihan’s gaze. “I’m from Postwick, but I guess Gran used to work with some of the people here at the castle… so she was able to get me some schooling here.”

“I… I had no idea. She saved our skins when we got out of the Weald. Well. Leon’s, at least.”

“R-really?” Sonia looked back at Raihan in surprise. “I guess that explains what he meant a moment ago.” She let out another gusty sigh, shaking her head. “Please tell me that you two are going to at least _try_ and stay out of trouble? No more Galar-wide quests?”

“I think we’re both looking forward to some peace and quiet,” Raihan smiled, then winked. “At least for now.”

Sonia’s cheeks puffed out, and she finally let out a huff.

“Ugh, _Raihan!_ You two still owe me for leaving me to run the castle with Duke Piers and Kabu!! You’d _better_ enjoy peace and quiet for a long, long while!”

Raihan laughed, but before he could respond, he was tackled from the side by Aria, who wrapped him in a tight hug. 

“Oh, I’m so proud! You’ve come so far, I always knew you’d grow up to be incredible!”

“A-Aria, please!” Raihan was helpless in her embrace, and wondered when the woman had become so strong.

“Ah, Miss Aria!” Leon interjected, smiling brightly at her, “it’s so good to see you again so soon.”

Raihan gasped with relief as Aria let him go to congratulate Leon, then laughed and shook his head as she left with a flourish. 

“Thanks for the assist, my dearest husband,” Raihan said.

“You’re welcome, love,” Leon replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Did you see the memorial that Kabu drew for Allister? He set it up on the table with the presents.”

“He did?” Raihan asked and looked over toward the table in question. “He showed me the sketch, but not the finished…”

He trailed off as he saw a slender figure by the table, stealthily sliding a gift among the others.

“Is that _Bede?_ ” 

“Huh? Who?” Leon asked, turning to look just as Bede slipped the gift between two larger ones. Leon stiffened slightly, holding tighter to Raihan’s hand. “The fairy!”

Bede glanced up, realized that he’d been spotted, and scampered off out of the field, hovering just above the ground and leaving rose buds growing in his wake. Just beyond the field near the edge of the Fairy Forest was Opal.

Raihan tensed and his fingers twitched, itching to hold a sword. However, the Fairy Queen did nothing more than meet both their eyes in turn, bow, and vanish in a puff of petals and butterfly wings.

“Ah. Hm,” Leon toned articulately. “They… left us a present?”

“Apparently,” Raihan said dryly. “Let’s open that one carefully. Or not at all.”

“Perhaps this is their way of trying to make amends,” Leon offered, squeezing Raihan’s hand. “...so yes, we’ll open that one very carefully.”

Raihan sighed and shook his head, deciding that was an issue for later, and tried once more to make it to the cake. This time, they were stopped by Piers, who was already holding a goblet of some amber liquid.

“Congrats you two,” he toned, “real nice’ve you to ask me to take part. So thanks.”

“Thank _you_ for coming,” Leon insisted, giving Piers a smile, “and thank you for your help in getting us back to Hammerlocke.”

“I jus’ made sure you wouldn’ starve when yeh got lost again,” Piers said in the midst of a sip from his goblet.

“And we certainly _did_ get lost,” Raihan gave Leon a teasing grin. “Spikemuth to Circhester to Stow-on-Side…” 

“Mmhmm,” Piers toned into his cup, “Real miracle that you made it back before the next harvest.”

“I understand, I am never to lead a travel party again,” Leon said solemnly.

“ _Good,_ ” Piers said, pointing at him. “How ‘bout you two stay in the castle a while and make doe-eyes at each other there, hm?”

“That is definitely the plan,” Raihan laughed. “Barring unforeseen circumstances, of course.”

“Nope,” Piers said shortly, “yeh used up all o’ those. You don’t get any more.”

“Gods, I hope you’re right,” Raihan said. “We’ve had quite enough excitement, thank you.”

“Agreed,” Leon chimed in, opening his mouth to continue before he was cut off by a call from Sebastian.

“Raihan! Are we going to cut this cake or what?” Sebastian asked, standing next to the cake holding a large knife.

“Yeah!” Hop called, bouncing up and down beside the table the cake was on, Marnie at his side. “We want cake!!”

“Cake, please,” came Marnie’s soft request, as always clutching her small rodent friend close to her chest.

“All right, all right!” Leon called back with a laugh, “we’re almost there! Give us just one more minute!”

The two stood in the midst of the cheery party, with people milling about all around them while a soft breeze danced through the budding flowers that adorned the field.

“It’s perfect,” Raihan murmured to Leon, taking his hand once more and leaning in to brush his lips against his cheek. “Everything is just perfect.”

Leon stared dreamily up at him with eyes the color of a setting summer sun. He squeezed Raihan’s hand and leaned up to give him a tender kiss in return, lingering there for a bit too long.

“Yes it is. Better than I could have ever imagined. Though I suspect that is because you are here beside me, my love.”

Raihan smiled wide and looked around them, at the friends— no, at the _family_ they’d gathered together.

“I think you’re right,” Raihan said. Together, they took the first step toward the rest of their lives.

Perhaps there were such things as happy endings after all.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it, fam! We started drafting this monster back in February, and it feels so good to have it completed! This is the largest project either of us have undertaken, and we’re so happy to share it with you! We can’t overstate how grateful we are to everyone who enjoyed this with us. Whether you were following along since the first chapter or stumbled across this after its completion, we love and appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you so much for reading and going on this journey with us! 
> 
> A lot of you have expressed excitement about our future projects, and we’re delighted that you want to read more from us! We have a few ideas floating around but… we are gonna need a break after spending almost a year working on this beast. In the meanwhile, you can check out our other works, including our canon-compliant RaiLeon fic [Best Laid Plans.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22640713/chapters/54111910) Wanna listen to us scream into the void with multifandom bullshit? You can find us on our socials in the auto note below! If you liked this fic in particular and the world we built around it, you might also be interested to know that we have a _lot_ of stuff that didn’t make it into the fic. We would love to answer any questions you may or may not have, and we might just start dropping random lore tidbits anyway.
> 
> Once more, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments are very much loved and appreciated, let us know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Have questions about the AU we have definitely put way too much thought into? Just want to come yell nice things at us? Hit us up on social media!
> 
> You can find Sadina on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SadinaSaphrite) and [Tumblr.](https://sadinasaphrite.tumblr.com)
> 
> You can find Tears on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tearsontherocks) and [Tumblr.](https://tearsontherocks.tumblr.com)


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